question for people with asthma and use a peakflow

[eddy1608]

hi all, according to the peak flow charts my peakflow is pretty much bang on all the time but i am still paranoid about it and i do suffer bad health anxiety and have done for a long time but my question is would overuse of a peakflow meter cause my throat to become sore and effect the readings?
thanks

[Frenchy]

How often are you taking a reading?

I have asthma and have used a peakflow meter in the past - but even when I've graphed out my results I've never had to take more than a couple of readings a day so I've never come close to making my throat hurt to be honest. However I can imagine if you were doing it a lot (multiple times a day) it might make it ache a bit.

Are you taking readings because you've been instructed to - or are you doing this as part of you anxiety? like a compulsion to keep doing it?

[countrygirl]

AS Frenchy says you mostly only need to do two peakflows a day if you have asthma. I had bad asthma as a child but not as an adult but I do have a peakflow meter and every 6 months I do a few readings for the GP.
I certainly find it can hurt my throat when I blow as hard as I can so I would imagine if you were doing that multiple times a day then it could hurt your throat.

[MyNameIsTerry]

It won't affect the readings if your throat is sore unless maybe the swelling prevents you from taking a powerful outbreath.

There is the possibility of oral thrush from these meters in the same way there is a possibility from using inhalers so you have to keep them clean.

Given people use tools like Powerbreathe for 30 breaths a day or more then I can't see how using a peak flow would cause you any problems since all you are doing is breathing out with some force which you may end up doing from exercise.

Like Frenchy & countrygirl said, you would have to be doing it a lot to have problems.