Save your money on spirometry and get yourself a full range peak flow meter by Respironics, with color coding. This is good for emphysema patients as well as asthmatics with COPD.
An online review of peak flow meters suggest that the Respironics full range peak flow meter is among the best and ironically the cheapest. This product sells for $12.47 online, and is pennies compared to the inaccurate and outrageously expensive spirometry tests:
http://www.squidoo.com/best-buy-peak-flow-meters
Please note that there is a colored normal range on what is considered normal for children, teenagers, and adults. And also note that 750 and above is considered normal for adults. Crazy as it sounds, I don't think I have ever had a doctor who gave me the right gauge. They always gave me a children's gauge which only goes up to 600 and this shows you how bad the US medical system has become.
With much sadness, I am sorry to report that last year Respironics was purchased by The Phillips Corporation of the Netherlands. And this is just one of more than 2700 choice blue chip US companies have been sold to foreigners in the last 25 years; most of the purchases have been by Europeans. About the only way you are going to stop this is to create a state bank that can control the purse strings. It is a further sign that the 200 year old US empire is coming to a final end http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2007/12/21/royal-philips-to-buy-respironics-or-52-billion/
An online review of peak flow meters suggest that the Respironics full range peak flow meter is among the best and ironically the cheapest. This product sells for $12.47 online, and is pennies compared to the inaccurate and outrageously expensive spirometry tests:
http://www.squidoo.com/best-buy-peak-flow-meters
Please note that there is a colored normal range on what is considered normal for children, teenagers, and adults. And also note that 750 and above is considered normal for adults. Crazy as it sounds, I don't think I have ever had a doctor who gave me the right gauge. They always gave me a children's gauge which only goes up to 600 and this shows you how bad the US medical system has become.
With much sadness, I am sorry to report that last year Respironics was purchased by The Phillips Corporation of the Netherlands. And this is just one of more than 2700 choice blue chip US companies have been sold to foreigners in the last 25 years; most of the purchases have been by Europeans. About the only way you are going to stop this is to create a state bank that can control the purse strings. It is a further sign that the 200 year old US empire is coming to a final end http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2007/12/21/royal-philips-to-buy-respironics-or-52-billion/