Home Lung Function Test: Why It Is Done
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Why It Is Done
Testing your peak expiratory flow (PEF) at home may help:
- Measure how well your lungs are working if you have a long-term (chronic) lung disease, such as asthma.
- Guide the treatment and monitor the effectiveness of treatment for asthma. Peak expiratory flow monitoring provides information to help people with asthma make better treatment decisions.
- Monitor your lung function if you are regularly exposed to substances at work that can damage your lungs (occupational asthma).
- Measure improvement in your lung function if you are starting an exercise program or stopping smoking.
- Monitor for early signs of rejection if you have had a lung transplant.
| Last updated: | January 24, 2007 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS |
| Reviewed By: | Martin Gabica, MD - Family Medicine, R. Steven Tharratt, MD, MPVM, FACP, FCCP - Pulmonology, Critical Care, Medical Toxicology |
| Editors: | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer |
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