 There is a very useful device that can be used at home to evaluate asthma severity. By using the device routinely, patients can learn about their normal lung function when they are not having any symptoms of asthma and then repeat the test on a routine basis in order to detect any problems with breathing even before symptoms develop. Using a peak flow meter is kind of like having an early warning system for asthma and every patient should have one. It is like having a thermometer if you have a young child or having a glucose monitor if you have diabetes. By checking the peak flow readings, the patient is able to give the doctor more information about lung function between appointments. The peak flow meter is very easy to use. The following are the steps in using a peak flow meter. First, sit up straight or stand up. Standing up is preferable. Make sure that the indicator is moved to the bottom of the scale at zero. Hold the peak flow meter level in front of the face. Take a very deep breath. Flow into the peak flow meter as forcefully as possible, completely emptying the lungs. Note the readings. Then re-zero the scale and repeat this process twice, recording three readings. Record the best of the three readings in the peak flow diary or log. The patient should breathe out from the diaphragm, not from the cheeks. The patient should not blow out like they are trying to blow out candles or blow up a balloon, but blow out from the chest and lungs, like they are trying to fog up a mirror. If a small child is checking their peak flow, then they should pretend like they are trying to blow over the person standing in front of them. Reading should always be taken in triplicate, and the best of the three used for the reading. This is because techniques is very important. If a patient coughs or the tongue gets in the way, then the reading might be incorrect. Repeating the process three times decreases the risk of recording a bad reading. Patients should talk to the doctor and pharmacists about peak flow monitoring. The healthcare professional can provide additional information concerning how to establish the personal best peak flow, so each individual knows exactly what their peak flow readings should be when they are not having symptoms. This allows the patient and the physician to have a point of reference when the peak flow changes. Good morning. It looks like your doctor has prescribed a peak flow meter for you to use to monitor asthma, and I've actually selected one called an asthma mentor for you, and this is yours that I'll be giving you. I want to show you how to use it at home to make sure you're familiar with how to use it appropriately. It's very easy to use. Basically, you just blow out into this meter, and you blow as hard and as forcefully as you can, and you want to blow from your diaphragm, so from down here like you're trying to fog up a mirror, like exactly. You don't want to blow from your cheeks like you're trying to blow up a balloon or blow out a candle. Not like that. You want to do the, okay. You're going to blow as forcefully as you can, and you're going to do it three times in a row, and you're going to take the best reading of the three. The main thing is that you want to make sure that you're standing up or sitting up very straight when you use it. You want to put the mouthpiece of the pete flow meter in your mouth. You want to wrap your lips around the mouthpiece, and make sure you don't get your tongue in the way, okay. So I'm going to show you how to do it, so you breathe in. You blow out as forcefully as you can. That time I did around 400, okay, then you just take your finger and move the red indicator to the bottom of the scale before you do it the second time. I'm getting better around 420 that time, okay, then move it down and do it a third time around 400. So if you take the best reading of those three, my best pete flow for this reading would be 420, and I would actually record that in my diary that your doctor gave you to record your pete flow readings, okay. So let's see if you do it, and let's see if you're doing it correctly. Take a deep breath in, wrap your lips around, and blow it hard. So you're getting around 340. So take your finger and move it back down to the bottom one more time, okay. You're getting better too, you're up to 420 that time. You're getting the hang of it, so move one less time, very good. Around 440, and so you would actually record 440 in your diary, and then you would check it as often as your doctor has indicated, usually you check it three times a day. First thing in the morning, as soon as you get up in the afternoon between 12 and 2, and then before you go to bed, okay, and you go and record your readings each time, but you also need to check your pete flow if you ever start feeling like you're having some shortness of breath or hear wheezing, and you think your asthma might be getting worse, okay. It's kind of like an early warning system to see if you're having trouble breathing. Okay. Do you have any questions for me? No, that's pretty straightforward. Thanks very much. Thank you.