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| |    Asthma and the Use of Peak Flow Meters by Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P. reviewed by Lynn Cates, M.D., F.A.A.P. If your child has asthma and has been given a peak flow meter, you will no doubt find yourself appreciating how this simple contraption can play such a valuable role in following the course of your child's disease. Peak flow meters, in addition to being easy to use, can determine such things as how well your child's asthma is being controlled, the severity of an attack, or the effectiveness of the medications involved in treating and controlling your child's symptoms. What is a peak flow meter? A peak flow meter is a device that measures the speed in which your child expels air out of her lungs. When asthma causes narrowing of the airways, it inevitably decreases the speed of the airflow to some degree. These meters are available over the counter and come in varying shapes and sizes--some look like kazoos, others more like the center of a toilet paper roll--but all are designed to measure airflow. More formal lung function tests are available that can determine with better accuracy how much airflow is blocked, but peak flow meters are much less expensive and offer you the ability to take similar measurements quickly, easily, and on a regular basis. Why is it important to use a peak flow meter? Being able to measure your child's normal ability to breathe is just as important as being able to know when her breathing is impaired. In fact, health professionals encourage the use of peak flow meters when a child is well so that it is clear what her baseline ability is--which, in turn, allows you to know when her asthma symptoms worsen. Also, taking measurements both before and after your child is exposed to potential asthma triggers can help you identify those to which your child is sensitive. Quite often, the first sign of an attack is a decrease in peak flow measurements, which can precede any symptoms. This is especially helpful because it gives you the chance to start your child on an appropriate treatment before the symptoms progress. And when your child does have an asthma attack, just how low your child's peak flow measurement drops is a strong indicator of how severe the attack is. How do I use it? Basically, using a peak flow meter is similar to the old game found at county fairs where you use a hammer to hit a particular spot as hard as you can to see how high you can send a little ball up its track. In this case, though, it's how far your child can move a little marker on the peak flow meter by blowing into the device as hard and fast as possible. To get an accurate measurement on a peak flow meter, it's important that your child understand the concept behind its use. Once that's been established, she's ready to use the meter. To do so, first make sure the little marker on the peak flow meter is set at zero. Then have your child stand up (if possible), take a full deep breath, and blow forcefully on the peak flow meter. Make sure that her lips and teeth are sealed around the outside of the meter and that her tongue is out of the way. Use the best of three measurements as the baseline. Then, keep a record of your child's typical peak flow measurements when she is well, before and after giving medications, and when she has an attack. This record--part of the Peak Flow Zone System--can really give you and your child's healthcare provider a good grasp of how well her disease is being controlled and to make treatment changes accordingly.
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