Using A Piko Peak Flow Meter
What is a Piko Peak Flow Meter?
The Piko peak flow meter is a small, easy-to-use instrument that
enables you or your child to measure lung function at home, at work, at school
— wherever you go. The peak flow meter measures how fast a person can
blow out air after a maximum inhalation. It helps reveal how well you or your
child's lungs are working. The Piko measures PEF. This is the peak
expiratory flow rate. In addition, the Piko also measures FEV
1
. This is the
Forced Expiratory Volume in the first second you exhale. Many peak flow
meters measure PEF, but not FEV
1
. The Piko peak flow meter measures both.
Why Use a Piko Peak Flow Meter?
People with asthma may not always feel the early changes taking place in their airways because these changes
often occur gradually. In addition to watching for asthma symptoms, a Piko peak flow meter can help you monitor
asthma. A peak flow meter can be especially useful if you or your child have moderate to severe asthma or have difficulty
identifying asthma symptoms.
A daily (or regular) record of peak flow numbers can provide you with a valuable early warning sign. Sometimes
peak flow numbers will decrease hours, or even a day or two before other asthma symptoms become evident. When you
monitor peak flow numbers on a daily (or regular) basis, you can identify this drop and take steps to prevent an asthma
episode. The peak flow numbers, along with watching for asthma symptoms can be used to make decisions about asthma
treatment.
People with asthma can benefit from an objective means of assessing asthma symptoms. The Piko peak flow
meter is an inexpensive, practical way to measure lung function at home.
The Piko peak flow meter measures how fast and how much air you or your child can blow out after taking a deep
breath. As reviewed above, these measures are PEF and FEV
1
. These measures, which are read as numbers, may reflect
the amount of obstruction in the airways. Monitoring peak flow numbers can help you and your health care provider
assess lung function. This is helpful in making decisions about the following:
Effectiveness of asthma medications,
Adding or stopping medication(s),
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