Does anyone know how good your peak flow would be even with mild COPD or would it vary from person to person?
Thanks Gary
Hi,
i think it varies person to person. Height ,weight age etc.
Can i ask what yours is Gary?
Mine is around 700-780
Hi Gary,
Could I just say as an answer, it depends what the main underlying component of your COPD is. If yo have had a long history of Chronic bronchitis, and a good few chest infections, there will probaly be a degree of fibrous tissue in your lungs. This leads to a loss of elasticity. also, how strong is your diaphragm muscle. To console myself, I used to use my inhaler (salbutamol) and then do the peakflow. But even cheating did not help because the readoing was only fractionally higher than without the inhaler. I would think that peakflow is a more useful aid if your component is asthma. I do not wnt to cause any confusion but COPD is an overarching condition for a combined number of lung disorders. If in your Drs generakl practice you have a njrse that specialises in COPD, I would suggest an appoiuntment to see her/him to discuss the actual/potential lung conditions you have. If you do not have such skills withon the surgery, then see your doctor. I did that and he tried to pass the subject off until I told him, "this is my body and I have the right to know what is wrong with it. We then had a short and profitable conversation and i arrived at the truth. Another way I have chosen is not to be anxious about tomorrow because today has enough anxiety of its own. I do not know if that helps. If it does not, kick it into the waste basket. I also am on what I have been told is the gold sstandard of treatment for COPD, Tiotropium soln for inhalation two inhalations once per day (Spiriva) and the other is Seretide 500/50 Accuhaler (this is a combination of Fluticasone propionate and Salmeterol. The first component is type of steroid to reduce inflammation the other component is a bronchodilator). Best wishes, robert67128.