Advice on severity

[Kendavis359]

Hi, I always get good advice from this website due to the amount of people suffering with lung problems, so I hope to get a bit more today please. Well unexpectedly this morning two nurses turn up at my door to do a lung check from my local surgery, yes I do know them from the past. So they check me over due to my housebound condition and peak flow gadget says I'm 22% lungs working. So with that reading am I supposed to feel fit, walking, running or just slow and tired all the time like I usually feel? Any advice welcome.

[Beth_19]

It all depends on you and your body I suppose.

I know somebody who had 30% lung capacity (had part of lungs removed) and she leads a very normal life working, exercising (carefully) etc. Her only issue is that when she gets poorly she gets poorly very quickly and it affects her breathing usually resulting in hospital admission.

But she doesn't have any other medical conditions to impact on her life so she is able to do all those things. Each of us is individual.

If you have other health conditions that is obviously going to impact on your lungs and your ability to function. You could ask the nurses about help in pushing yourself a little bit if it is safe for you to do so, that might help a little bit

[Chip_y2kuk]

Well the other week my peak flow was down 20+% of what my pb was and I noticed it, moving about and getting tired and sweating, slightly breathless

[QuietChest]

I agree depends on you. Thus number will help professionals in their care if you but you should focus on how you feel not a number

[Jandm]

It depends on what you have become used too. Did they advise anything or just take the reading? Have those readings changed from your previous ones? do you feel like you have deteriorated? If they are from your GP service then it would be wise to contact them and find out if there has been any recorded change and take it from there

[Kendavis359]

Thank you all once again, I keep busy as possible due to my upbringing always kept busy with living in countryside where we all had our chores to do. I have done all the PALs courses at the local gym. It was the negative talk that got me down yesterday and I turned to words of wisdom from this website as I strongly believe it's only us going through the illness that truly understand on how we feel. And after thirty years of copd please believe me I have had so much different advice it's been amazing. Anyway today I feel better and only thing I'm going to do is see asthma nurse in weeks time to see what sort of new medicine as come out as I not been updated by them for over five years as consultant said there's no more they can do for me, go home and take it easy and take my medication regular. So I'm glad I have had response from you all as that as taken away some of my loneliness . Thanks once again . Ken.