kam
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Track your symptoms to improve health by Patti Stilley Schmidt Health consultant & coach
According to the Pew Research Center, sixty-nine percent of U.S. adults track a health indicator like weight, diet, exercise routine, or symptoms. Of those, half track ``in their heads,'' one-third keep notes on paper, and one in five use technology. Nineteen percent of smartphone owners have downloaded an app to track or manage a health concern.
Why do people go to the trouble? Because tracking symptoms gets results. The same study found that * 46% of trackers say that this activity has changed their overall approach to maintaining their health; * 40% of trackers say it led them to ask a doctor new questions or to get a second opinion; and * 34% of trackers say it's affected a decision about treatment.
So if you're not tracking your symptoms, you're missing an easy opportunity to improve your health. All of the systems below make it possible for you to better understand how triggers, therapies & side effects affect how you feel day to day. Because they help you see patterns and trends you might not otherwise see, they can point you to ways to increase your overall well-being.
kam
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I need something on line so I can lay in bed and type things out. And then hopefully print out for doc.
I was able to look at one of the products listed from Amazon....looked good but not sure if my handwriting skills would work...
they are hit and miss ...mostly miss
I liked the idea of writing down what I eat. I do know I do not get enough food in my daily.
But, I could not find the section of the book where you would record symptoms.
Posts: 15927 | From Became too sick to work or do household chores in 2001. | Registered: Dec 2002
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I do this. I started it immediately bc one neurologist I went to who tried to convince me I had migraines said that tracking symptoms/activities etc would help to find the triggers.
I stopped doing it for a few months last year bc I got fed up trying to find patterns to the crazy on/off wild wicked boatload of sxs.
Then I only kept track of my seizures.. bc that was what all the mainstream docs were focusing on. (raspberries)
Now that I'm with my LLMD, I'm back to tracking again, bc it will help to know what regimens work better.
It's very hard to do. I can even tell from my organization skills in the journal by quick glance that this month sucked for me or that month was better.
It's a good plan IF you can do it. I think most LLMDs understand though.
-------------------- KentuckyWoman tired of medical run-arounds
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. ~ ~ Robert Frost Posts: 221 | From Kentucky | Registered: Sep 2012
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I think it may be iphone/ipad only (haven't checked) but there is an app called "Symple" that's made my symptom tracking so much easier.
You can put in whatever symptoms you need to track, then rate them daily on a scale of one to five. You can also put in factors, and check off yes or no every day on those (like yes - took all of my meds, no - didn't exercise, etc.) Then you can export everything to an Excel file, or you can view things in the app to see how your symptoms are changing, and find patterns in what factors affect your symptoms.
I don't work for these folks or anything, just a sick person that's been looking for something easy like this to track my symptoms, and it's kind of been a lifesaver.
I ALSO have one called Rxmindme, that keeps track of all of my meds for me and tells me when to take them. These gadgets can be such handy things Posts: 306 | From Brownsville, PA | Registered: Jul 2007
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kam
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I did a search and found this web site page. I still need to see if I can use it on an android....I think that is what I have.
Posts: 15927 | From Became too sick to work or do household chores in 2001. | Registered: Dec 2002
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kam
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I did a search and found this utube video about rxremindme, but have not watched it yet.
It looked like it is for iphones also and something else which I can't recall right now.
Posts: 15927 | From Became too sick to work or do household chores in 2001. | Registered: Dec 2002
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kam
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 3410
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I know it will help whoever my doc is...hopefully...for me to write down my symptoms that are ever changing...
but must admit I have gotten this far by trying not to think about them.
Posts: 15927 | From Became too sick to work or do household chores in 2001. | Registered: Dec 2002
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-------------------- KentuckyWoman tired of medical run-arounds
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. ~ ~ Robert Frost Posts: 221 | From Kentucky | Registered: Sep 2012
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