How To Use A Peak Flow Meter Instruction Sheet (Page 2 of 2) in pdf

How To Use A Peak Flow Meter Instruction Sheet Page 2

Refer to your action plan to see which peak flow zone your peak flow number is in. Follow the plan

developed by you and your health care provider for the appropriate zone. Include your asthma symptoms in

to your asthma action plan. You may need to act on your asthma symptoms, even if you are in the green

zone.

Determining a 'Personal Best'

It is more important to monitor how your peak flow changes over time rather than compare it to someone

else’s peak flow or to what your reading is supposed to be (predicted peak flow). Establishing your personal

best peak flow reading is a key part of monitoring your asthma. A drop of 15 to 20 percent in your personal

best peak flow can help you identify problems with your lungs before symptoms appear. Measuring peak

flow before and after taking a rescue medication can help you determine the effectiveness of the medication

and indicate if additional actions are needed. Your asthma must be under control when you establish your

personal best.

To determine your personal best:

• Use the same peak flow meter for each reading.

• Record your reading twice a day for two weeks. Take the reading at approximately the same

time each day. The first reading should be taken upon rising in the morning and the second

one in the late afternoon.

• At the end of two weeks, review the readings. The highest reading you recorded during that

period is your personal best.”

• Work with your provider by using your personal best to determine your green, yellow and red

zones in your asthma action plan.

• Personal best values will need to be recalculated if disease status changes.

For more asthma resources visit

FORM 140216 (Revised 3/2014)

How To Use A Peak Flow Meter Instruction Sheet Page 2