The peak flow meter is a device that can make it easy to tell us when your asthma symptoms are starting up even before you might realize it yourself. It consists of a tube which you blow into very fast and a needle tells you how much air your lungs can hold. Everyone with asthma who is old enough to use it correctly should own one. If you are not using one now please ask your doctor if it is right for you. The third part of asthma care is medications.
Asthma medications come in three different forms.
Some are in liquids you drink, pills you swallow or mist that you breath in. The best way to use a puffer is with a spacer. Spacers are tubes that you put in between the puffer and your mouth that allow more medicine to get into your lungs. If you are using a puffer without a spacer, please tell us so we can see if you would do better with a spacer. There are three types of medicine we routinely use for asthma.