How to keep a simple symptom diary
A symptom diary can be a notebook or a note on your phone. A diary only helps if it stays easy, so start with the few details you want to remember.
Date the note
Write the date of the note. If you are describing an earlier day, label that separately. Your first note and the day it actually began can be different dates, so keep them separate.
Start with your own words
Write where it is, how it feels and anything else you want to remember. A brief entry is enough to begin a record.
Choose what you want to record
Make a note when something happens or changes. Quiet days are fine; you do not need to fill every day.
Note what changed
A trip, a new pillow, a change in routine. Write it down with the date, so you and your doctor can look at the timing together.
A reusable entry
Copy this into your own notebook or phone note:
- Date of this note:
- What I noticed and where:
- When it happened, if different:
- When I first noticed it, or "not sure":
- What I want to ask:
Bring the notes you want to discuss
Before an appointment, choose the entries and questions you want to bring.
To put your notes on one printable page, use the free visit summary.
Related guidance: NHS: preparing for an appointment
Keep dated notes in Ever Since
A symptom entry can include where it is, how strong it feels, and your own words. Each entry keeps the date it was logged. Symptom logging is included in the free plan.
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