Illustrative picture. We confirm the exact model with your price.
Peak flow meter
A hand-held meter that tracks how well the lungs are working.
Good forAsthma and chronic lung disease
- Price and delivery confirmed first
- A nurse can advise before you buy
- Set-up help when it is needed
What it is, and who it helps
A peak flow meter measures how fast a person can blow air out of their lungs. For people with asthma or other airway disease, a fall in the reading can warn of a flare-up before symptoms get bad.
Used with a doctor's action plan, it helps decide when to use extra medicine or seek help.
How to choose
- Choose a meter with a clear scale suitable for adults, and mouthpieces that are easy to clean.
- Pick a lightweight, simple design and consider a digital model with memory.
- Check that your parent can hold and blow into it correctly.
- Ask your doctor for a personal best reading and zones.
Using it safely
- Stand or sit upright, take a deep breath and blow out hard and fast, three times, recording the highest.
- Measure at the same times each day, and note changes.
- Follow the action plan for readings in the amber and red zones and seek urgent help for severe breathlessness.
Before you buy
Who should use a peak flow meter?
Mainly people with asthma. Your doctor will say whether it is useful for your parent's condition.
More in Breathing support · Care plans · Services · Medical equipment at home
General information, not medical advice. Ask a doctor, nurse or physiotherapist what is right for your parent.
Not sure this is the right one?
A nurse can suggest the right choice, arrange delivery and show how to use it.