Hi again all - I hope you are all well this morning.
I am considering buying a hand held spirometer and was wondering if any of you have gone down this route. I have tube peak flow thing but that really dose not give me much info apart from l/s and being a curious person i want to know more.
it is 0930 and I am listening to Radio 2 over the web even after 9 years away it still confuses me when they mention the time I have been watching outside conditions hoping that things will improve as time goes on with regards to haze outside but no luck - I guess its surgical mask again today got to stop the sand somehow
Have a good day all
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andyrrc
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Hi, do you mean a hand held oximeter to measure O2 saturation and pulse? I am not familiar with a hand held spirometer nor what it will do.
There was a recent post thread about oximeters; we have one from Amazon that cost £20; measures pulse and O2 saturation and has always been the same as the nurse’s reading.
If you’re talking about something completely different I will learn something this morning!
Yes it could be a problem with fixation I would also think the lung doctor might get a bit upset if you start contradicting him/her because your unit says something different to their results
I have the odometer and also use "Samsung health app" as an every day tool for measuring pulse O2 and stress levels along with its step counter. A gimic maybe but it appears to be reasonable good as a quick check
After my last episode it has made me very aware of my condition - got very worried - so I guess I am now a little paranoid
I use the peak flow tube once a day but find that the readings can vary a lot (from 300 to off the scale which goes past 800) so need something a bit more consistent.
Yes how you feel is a good indicator of what is going on
I have very reliable test each morning, it’s called a dog. If it wakes me up in the morning then I know I’m okay. If it doesn’t then I know I have a problem. (i. e. One of us died during the night)
Personally I would not buy one. Unless it can be calibrated to ensure accuracy. There are a number of issues related to home spirometry. I have looked at a number of the cheaper machines and I have grave doubts about accuracy and claims made. I have a pulse oximeter but rarely use it now. You know your own condition and there can be so many variables to spirometry testing it could become a source of anxiety rather than a help. Unless you can correctly do it with 100% confidence in the accuracy of the machine then to me it's not worth it.
Thanks worth considering this in my decision. I am looking at something that is in the upper range of cost and accuracy- I have had some issues in the past with cheap equipment so tend to spend considerably more to ensure it is good. Just like with tools for the workshop I buy snap-on tools and not things that cost half or less. Makes me feel happier and they last a lot longer
Of course it is your own decision Andy. On this and on a number of Facebook groups the question of home spirometry testing comes up. Often it then goes down the path of fluctuations in results and related stress and anxiety. You however appear confident to manage the machine so the best of luck to you.
ah spiros the bane of my life they give you a sprio at the qehb after transplant its for so you can keep an eye out for rejection illness etc it can quite easy take over your life if it drops small amounts on the fev 1 you will keep testing if you do go down this road you need to spend about £ 250 these compare to lung function test at hospital quite well with very little difference my spiros went down from 350 to 165 in a week just got out of hospital after 10 days iv antibiotics antivirals and now high dose steroids today im back to 270 so getting there for this reason my spiro is invaluable oh with kit you get all software to calibrate you need to push 3 ltr of air throu it anything else you need to know feel free to ask
Yes can highly recommend the home use spirometer . I have the same one that my COPD nurse uses. Can’t advertise but v.t...g... COPD. 6 this is easy to use and very accurate, same results as Hospital. I check weekly.
I have had a Vitalograph COPD-6 handheld unit for about 4 years which is an excellent indicator of lung health. You do 3 breaths through a disposable mouthpiece and it gives the reading for FEV1 and % of predicted FEV1%. When the test is finished you can get a best of 3 reading for FEV6, FEV1/FEV6 ratio, % of predicted, and estimated lung age, based on your inputs for age, sex and height which are put in before the tests are started.
With respect to accuracy I can say that the self tester shows results consistently 2% lower than those performed at my annual spirometry test at my doctors surgery, so while I would admit they may not be 100% accurate, I do feel they are consistent and a good guide to long term trends.
It is not something I obsess about but I do a series of self assessment tests on the first Monday of every month at the same time of day and check blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation both on and off oxygen, weight and blood sugar. I'm not really a hypochondriac, it's just that there's a lot wrong with my ageing body.
Like body weight scales, these devices may not be as accurate as medical grade ones, but they can usually be relied upon to give an indication of whether your results are better or not so good as previously. A series of results will give an indication of how well or how poorly you are getting over time.
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I have been watching outside conditions hoping that things will improve as time goes on with regards to haze outside but no luck - I guess its surgical mask again today
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