A Nurse's Guide to Symptom Tracking: 4 Simple Tips

Last week, I wrote about how symptoms are the main factor in diagnosing and treating upper respiratory illnesses. As a nurse, I’m constantly assessing and reassessing symptoms—whether it’s in my patients, myself when I’m feeling under the weather, or even how I’m doing in life and work. It’s second nature for me at this point. I learned in nursing school and it stuck. It's almost like it’s in my bones now.

However, I often forget that this isn’t second nature for everyone. If you’re not in the medical field, self-assessing and evaluating symptoms might feel a bit foreign or overwhelming. Fortunately, if you're reading this, you probably already have some level of self-awareness and curiosity about your health and healthcare in general. You recognize there are gaps, both big and small, in the healthcare system and are looking for answers and ways to understand, improve, and even take charge of your well-being.

So today, I want to share some simple tips for evaluating your upper respiratory symptoms and learning your personal health baseline. And later this week, I’ll talk about how using these tips can help you communicate more effectively with your doctor.

1. Start with Self-Reflection

Take time to really think about how you’re feeling. You are the only one living in your body, so you’re the ultimate expert on what’s normal and what’s not.

In healthcare, we look at two things:

• Signs: These are measurable or observable, like how you look, a fever, lab results, or chest congestion.

• Symptoms: These are what you feel—like a sore throat, fatigue, or shortness of breath.

Doctors and nurses rely on you to describe your symptoms. The better you understand and communicate them, the more we can help.

2. Know Your Baseline

Your baseline is what’s “normal” for you during an illness. To figure it out, ask yourself questions:

• What symptoms do I usually get with a cold or flu? (Runny nose, fever, cough?)

• How often do I catch an upper respiratory infection (URI)—once a year, every few years, or rarely?

• Have I tested positive for illnesses like flu or COVID-19? If so, were those symptoms different from a regular cold?

• Have I ever had complications, like pneumonia or a hospital stay for a URI?

Learning your baseline helps you spot when something is different—or more serious—than usual.

3. Keep a Log or Journal

If you’re someone who forgets details (aren’t we all sometimes?), keeping a simple journal can help. Jot down:

• The date you got sick.

• The symptoms you’re experiencing.

• How severe the symptoms feel.

• What treatments you’ve tried and how well they worked.

You don’t need to be super detailed—just enough to track patterns over time.

4. Create Your Own Rating Scale

In the medical world, we often ask patients to rate their pain on a scale of 0–10. You can adapt this idea to track how sick you feel:

• Example: “0” means you feel completely healthy, and “10” means you feel like you need to be in the ER.

• Or flip the scale if that feels more natural to you.

Using a scale makes it easier to see if your symptoms are getting better, worse, or staying the same.

Why This Matters

Being aware of your baseline can give you peace of mind. It helps you know when you can safely treat yourself at home and when it’s time to see a doctor. Plus, when you do see a healthcare provider, you’ll be able to describe your symptoms clearly and confidently—which can lead to better care.

These are small steps, but they can make a big difference in how you understand and manage your health. Later this week, I’ll share how these tips can improve your conversations with healthcare professionals and help you get the answers and treatments you need.

Here is a free to use symptom tracking questionnaire I made that you are welcome to download and use. You can download it, print it, copy it, and share it with others for free. It may not be resold. There is a watermark free version on the store site if you would like.