Do you diary symptoms?

Hey all!

I just wondered if any of you keep a diary with symptoms in an attempt to figure out triggers and patterns? What sorts of things do you keep note of if you do?

I have been adding notes on my calendar since January but only recorded my daughter's symptoms, never anything else. A friend mentioned in an unrelated conversation that her asthma bothers her when the weather is muggy and humid hot. My daughter's asthma had a slight flare at the end of last week and overnight it was horrendously hot (her symptoms always present overnight), so I am trying to note the weather now.

Any suggestions for anything else to track? Food?

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Hi,

I started logging my symtpms when I found it hard to convince doctors how bad I was feeling (at the suggestion of people on here and helpline) but it was so useful my asthma nurse asked me to keep going until I see the cons again.

I started with an app that suggested time, symptoms, triggers and recorded every time I took my reliever (they thought I was turning turning to it out of panic). The nurse asked me to add pf to see how it changes over the day. I also record the weather as I thought that triggers me and location is a good one if you are being specific. I also note down activties I have done in the day if significant. Also record the amount of reliever I need.

I have found that lots of little bits of information helped to build up a bigger picture which (after nearly 30 years is helping me to understand asthma). For example I get a really irritated phlegm cough at night of an have been out during the day and I always seem to need more inhaler to control attacks if outside (although I know hayfever is a big trigger, I didn't realise how big).

This does take quite a long time and I can't keep it up forever so am thinking about how I can be more general. However, at the moment, I am still learning from it and so is my GP. I suppose you need to record anything that you feel is significant. I hope it helps you as much as it has helped me.

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Worth tracking your hormones against it too - peri-menstrual asthma is increasingly recognised, and some women get ovulation-time flares.

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When I was 1st diagnosed I noted down anything that may have been an asthma trigger, as I wasn't sure.

Though I now no longer do that, simply because I'm lazy.

I have to keep a food diary, as my GP thinks I may have coeliac's disease (but that is something else), but I would say that if an attack or flare up happens within a reasonable time after eating (& as long as you've haven't had another trigger around). I do find that spicy food can trigger, a slight annoyance in my lungs.

So in otherwords, if you feel noting down any thing you feel will help, then note it down. After awhile, you'll be able to build up a picture of what goes on & when.

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With my daughter, it's hard as we rarely have outings or food out of the norm.

Apart from the common Cold, we're struggling to link triggers to her symptoms. Recently we've been trying anti histamine in case it could be hayfever related. Both my husband & I suffer with hayfever so it could be that she will too.

She had another attack last night though settled after 6 puffs of ventolin . The only thing I can link it to was the temperature through the night, as it was very stuffy.