Keep a Health Care Journal

There are many healthcare issues that have a causing factor, or a correlating factor as to when or why they happen. For example when someone gets a tension headache, it may happen after working for over 8 hours a day sitting at a desk without drinking enough water and stretching. A different type of headache can occur from an intolerance to nitrates in deli meat and hotdogs as another person’s headache cause. One of the greatest ways to finding out the cause of a problem can be with keeping a Healthcare Journal. While there are many issues that arise over a long period of time, learning what questions to answer and how to keep a Healthcare Journal can be of great benefit!

These journals have many purposes, from helping to discover the cause of a health condition, to helping you change the cause, if possible. The journals can also help you return to better health with your cholesterol and more by noting your diet during the day, and exercise. A person can find out where they need to stretch more before a workout, because their body aches in certain places. Also in the journal a record of the person’s sleep time, quality and how many times they awaken at night. The journal can help from the big health issues to the smaller variants throughout the day.

Here are some of the main questions to answer daily in your Healthcare Journal and then you can build upon the information gathered each day to address your specific healthcare focuses, and definitely add in questions that your doctor wants to know.

1. Time of wake up, do you wake up feeling refreshed and ready for the day? How many hours of sleep did you get?
2. Breakfast, time and what you ate.
3. Medications, times and doses?
4. What time do you get to work, is it stressful everyday?
5. Type of work, on feet? At a desk? How many hours a day?
6. Have you had symptoms yet of your issue or issues?
7. Lunch, time and what you ate.
8. Did you have an energy drop?
9. Snack, time and what you ate.
10. Did you have time to get up and stretch during your work day?
11. What time are you done with work?
12. How do you feel by the end of your work day, did you have any energy drops or fatigue? Did you have any signs or symptoms from a health condition?
13. Social, how often do you socialize?
14. Do you workout, if so what do you do?
15. Dinner, time and what you ate.
16. Relaxation time, what do you do?
17. Snacks, what did you eat?
18. How much water did you drink today in ounces?
19. Bedtime, what time? Do you feel tired or restless?

Once you have a week or two of the journal written, you may start to find patterns in your daily routines that may need to be changed. A person could find that they’re not drinking enough water each day or throughout the week and that contributes to arthritis pain. Another person could find a strong fatigue pattern during the day is due to drinking coffee after 4pm each day, leading to staying up late at night and when a person doesn’t get enough sleep, fatigue can happen. Some patterns are easy to adjust, others you need to discuss options with your doctor and a medication for the problem may be the answer. A doctor might also recommend going to an acupuncturist or an Ayurvedic medicine practitioner to help with body, lifestyle and nutrition therapies. May you find great success in your health and life with keeping a Healthcare Journal!