I have found my Peak Flow readings = 580 in 2008, 550 in 2011, 550 in 2014, 550 in 2020. I think these are good readings = only mild asthma?

[Scooby1020]

Nurse thinks my asthma is getting worse - I think it's steady & Mild?

[twinkly29]

Your readings alone can't be used to determine whether it's mild, moderate and so on.

Furthermore, one reading per year can't really be used to determine whether it's generally better, worse or the same.

It would be sensible to measure it twice a day (ideally before using your preventer inhaler) for at least 2 weeks to get a proper idea of what it's like now. Then, along with symptoms, they can decide whether things seem stable or not.

[Scooby1020 in reply to twinkly29]

I cannot measure it.I have to attend the surgery for a nurse to take the readings.

Hence, only once a year.

During the pandemic, I cannot even get my annual reading, as no face to face appointments (especially when breathing hard).

I assume, others can take their own readings!

Thanks

[twinkly29 in reply to Scooby1020]

You can buy the peak flow meters from pharmacies or online (should you wish to) but they certainly shouldn't be using one annual reading and comparing to a year ago to decide whether it's worse or not.

It's good practice for asthmatics to monitor their peak flow daily but some surgeries do seem to not have proper monitoring going on (nothing to do with covid, they didn't before).

[twinkly29]

This might give you more in-depth information about peak flow:healthunlocked.com/asthmauk...

[Scooby1020 in reply to twinkly29]

This was really interesting - thanks.Recently, I had some breathing difficulties which I assumed where asthma attacks, but my salamol inhaler did not relieve the symptoms, and my breathing remained shallow for hours.

I assumed anyone with breathing difficulties had asthma.

Now, as my salamol did not help, maybe I haven't got asthma - but something else that affects my breathing

[twinkly29 in reply to Scooby1020]

You might still have asthma but maybe at that time it was something else. Like when I had covid, the breathing symptoms were not my asthma - they were very different yet many would assume they were asthma.

[Norsca]

I think your numbers are fabulous. I don’t know how old you are because my numbers when well are usually around 300/350 and last winter went down to 250 and I needed Ventolin at the GP’s. I am in my meeting d seventies though.

[twinkly29 in reply to Norsca]

The peak flow numbers are only relevant in relation to a person's own best - not to anyone else's best score. So although 350 (your best) is a lot lower than 800, the only important thing for you is what you manage - so you needed to seek help at 250, which you did, as it was 71-83% of your best. If someone managed about 600 (but their best was 800), that would still seem amazing but they would still probably need to seek help as that would be 75% of their best.

Age and lung size do affect what a person can manage but, for context, 1 person I know is a severe asthmatic who used to swim competitively. Her best is about 650 (but "expected based on age etc" is 400). A friend of hers has the same expectation of 400 and has no history of asthma at all, but her best is 250. So it's very personal.

Apologies for the rambling!

[Beetle53]

Hi if you're in the UK then your asthma nurse should be able to arrange for a peak flow meter to be perscribed for you... Then you can monitor your own. I've been asthmatic for 50+ years I check my peak flow occasionally but really useful when poorly to monitor how bad I'm getting ...