PF noise: When I do my peak flow and... - Asthma Community ...

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PF noise

Owll profile image
Owll
18 Replies

When I do my peak flow and breathe out as hard as I can I always make a wheezing noise but I don't have any other symptoms. The results are always up and down but they never go under the green.

Is it normal to have that noise? I never had it in the past.

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Owll profile image
Owll
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18 Replies
ChrissieMons profile image
ChrissieMons

I’ve had this from time to time, but if you are generally well, I shouldn’t worry about it.

Owll profile image
Owll in reply to ChrissieMons

Thanks, I'm not too worried since I don't have any other symtoms at the moment. Just don't want it progressing but will keep an eye out.

madonbrew profile image
madonbrew in reply to Owll

Hi Owll,

I often have a very noticeable wheezing noise when I breathe out...on a big breath...almost constantly!

I do on the whole have other symptoms with it, although not 100% of the time. It does often make m wonder why!

Owll profile image
Owll in reply to madonbrew

It is very strange, hopefully its not an indication for anything worse for either of us but I doubt it. I've only been taking my PF for about a month and a half and I suddenly noticed I was making that noise. Won't let it worry me if my PF doesn't drop or have any other symptoms, was just curious.

madonbrew profile image
madonbrew in reply to Owll

I sometimes wonder if it’s more in my throat...lower throat & my inhalers have affected my voice box but I have no idea! It’s just what I wonder every now and then!

Yes, hopefully nothing to worry about! It might be worth asking about next time you see asthma nurse or GP?

AirIsUnderrated profile image
AirIsUnderrated

I have the same. I never had any noise on exhaling, even exhaling hard, before all this started in March. My mother, who was a chest and heart nurse at the Royal Brompton in the TB days, said it didn't sound normal down the phone. When I demonstrated to the pharmacist, he looked slightly alarmed and told me to speak to the doctor. When I finally got to see the respiratory nurse, she said "everyone has that - I have that - it's perfectly normal". But it isn't normal for me, and my husband can't make those squeaky noises.

The general consensus of opinion seems to be that it's nothing to worry about on its own. I guess it's an indication of mucus somewhere in the tubes, probably quite deep.

Owll profile image
Owll in reply to AirIsUnderrated

It does sound like something not normal, I did wonder if it was just something all asthmatics had to deal with. Sometimes when I do it it does dislodge what feels like mucus and it hurts a bit so it probably is just that. Thanks for letting me know :)

AirIsUnderrated profile image
AirIsUnderrated in reply to Owll

Yes that happens to me too. I’m

newly diagnosed so still learning. 😊

Owll profile image
Owll in reply to AirIsUnderrated

Hopefully you keep well :) I had asthma when I was born but it went away until I was 20, its been 7 years and not had many problems with it so reading up all I can about it just in case.

AirIsUnderrated profile image
AirIsUnderrated in reply to Owll

Kind of the same. I had asthma from 7 till 19 when I moved out of the family home where my dad smoked. No more chest problems until age 50 when I had Covid or similar (in March before UK testing) and have been working on recovering ever since. I was diagnosed with asthma 4 months later.

Owll profile image
Owll in reply to AirIsUnderrated

Hopefully you get to a period of controlled asthma like me, I'm always apprehensive of sudden worsening but so far so good, fingers crossed :)

AirIsUnderrated profile image
AirIsUnderrated in reply to Owll

Yes, so far so good with Qvar. Everything crossed!

Junglechicken profile image
Junglechicken

I get this sometimes when I’m struggling. It’s a growly noise, like the start of a chesty cough when I blow hard into a PF. I was lead to believe sometimes mucus can get stuck in your lungs and it’s that mucus working free.

I also find that I can sometimes “cough out” a wheeze ie: if I cough, the wheeze stops. This has happened for as long as I can remember.

Owll profile image
Owll in reply to Junglechicken

Yeah it does feel like mucus shifting sometimes when I blow out into the thing. I only rarely get wheezing since I've always just had mild asthma up to now so can be a bit worrying. I'll keep an eye on it.

Bella-Bestia profile image
Bella-Bestia

Hi, I also get a wheeze at the end of my breath on occasions when taking my peak flow, and its sound can vary. I didn’t have this before the chest infection 18 months ago which subsequently triggered my asthma.

I assume it’s due to the tightness in my chest caused by the now sensitive lungs I possess? There have been occasions when my PF drops. That’s when I have contacted the GP.

Like many others I now have triggers that affect my breathing and this year there have been a few!

Look out for them and if that coincides with a drop in your PF contact your surgery for help and advice.

Owll profile image
Owll in reply to Bella-Bestia

Thanks, I definitely will keep an eye on it. Reading your reply just made me remember a few months ago I had an episode of what felt like just sore lungs and was getting mildly out of breath and the soreness when I did any kind of activity that was more than just walking and the wheezing came about after that. I was sent to the hospital because my asthma nurse was concerned I had a blood clot but there was nothing, not even any infection. I put it down to maybe just some inflammation so maybe its just taking its time to heal up. Hopefully anyway.

EmmaF91 profile image
EmmaF91Community Ambassador

You can get a mild forced expiratory wheeze doing PF, if your lungs are slightly inflamed/mucus-y. At my hosp a few of the docs listen for that during admission as a sign of an issue (cause even if feeling well that can be about). Keep an eye on it, see if ventolin stops it, contact your GP/AN or AUK if you’re concerned!

Owll profile image
Owll in reply to EmmaF91

Thanks, its not causing me any issues at the moment but just nice knowing what it is.

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