Symptom Tracking: Yes or No?

The Pros and Cons of Tracking Symptoms 

Are you tracking the symptoms of your chronic illness? I did, and I still do, but I change what I track frequently. Some months I track how long and well I sleep, some months I track specific ME/CFS and while I was getting diagnosed I tracked 10 different symptoms to show my doc! Later I felt that tracking the symptoms was actually stressing me more than it helped me. That’s why I gave some thoughts about the whole tracking business and show you the pros and cons of it. This way you can hopefully make your own decision whether to track your symptoms or not!

The Pros

Empowerment and Self-awareness

Symptom tracking can empower you to become a more active participant in your healthcare journey. Documenting symptoms helps you better understand your condition and notice details that your healthcare providers may miss during short appointments.

Identification of Patterns and Triggers

Regularly tracking your symptoms can reveal patterns that you might otherwise not notice. You can also more easily identify specific triggers, whether they are related to lifestyle, diet, stress, or other factors. This knowledge allows you to make better decisions about how to avoid or mitigate these triggers, potentially leading to fewer symptom flare-ups.

Effective Communication

Precise and comprehensive symptom tracking provides healthcare providers with a more accurate picture of your condition over time. This can lead to more productive discussions during medical appointments, as you can share concrete data that aids in diagnosis and treatment adjustments. Or like I did: I angrily pointed at my chart to make sure that specific doc understood my message. 😉

Quantifiable Progress

Tracking symptoms allows you to measure your progress over time. This tangible evidence of improvement or deterioration can serve as motivation and validation for the efforts you put into managing the illness.

The Cons

Psychological Impact

Constantly focusing on symptoms and documenting may lead to increased anxiety and stress. The constant reminder of your condition can have a negative psychological impact, potentially exacerbating symptoms. So please be aware of this!

Time and Effort

Maintaining a symptom-tracking routine can be demanding in regard to time and effort. When you are already managing the challenges of a chronic illness, adding the responsibility of tracking symptoms can be overwhelming, especially during periods of exacerbation. I use a habit tracking notebook for my traveler’s journal, so I don’t need to draw tables or have it scattered all over the place. This one I made and published myself – the link on the images goes to Amazon and is an Affiliate link!

Difficult Data Interpretation

While tracking symptoms generates data, interpreting this data accurately can be complex. Without a deep understanding of medical nuances, you might misinterpret patterns or draw incorrect conclusions, leading to misguided decisions about your treatment.

Loss of Spontaneity

Tracking symptoms can feel restrictive and limit your ability to enjoy life spontaneously (if you are still able to do so). The constant need to record and analyze symptoms might prevent you from fully engaging in activities you once enjoyed.

Conclusion

The practice of tracking symptoms offers both advantages and disadvantages. It empowers you to take an active role in your healthcare, identify patterns, and communicate effectively with medical professionals. 

However, it can also lead to psychological stress, requires significant time and effort, and potentially results in misinterpretation of data. 

The decision to engage in symptom tracking should be your own one, considering your preferences, coping mechanisms, and overall well-being. A balanced approach that acknowledges the benefits while managing the potential downsides is crucial!

I made my own habit tracker that I use every day to track symptoms in the evening, along with my other journaling. You can find it here on Amazon (affiliate link). It fits into a traveler’s notebook, but also looks good on its own and has a nice small size! And no, it is not Instagram-worthy and rather messy, but it serves it purpose.