If you find yourself suffering from any number of chronic ailments, it is strongly recommended for you to keep a health journal. This journal will benefit seniors the most, especially if they make frequent visits to the doctor, but any aging individual should keep track of their medical records in a concise way for later reference. While the prospect may be daunting at first, you will be surprised by how easy it can be to keep this journal regularly updated and relevant. You may choose any format for the notes themselves, and you will enjoy numerous benefits to owning the journal.
A health journal is any general record that you keep of your health. The more complete and up to date your health journal is, the better it will be for your doctors. One of the biggest advantages of owning a health journal is the fact that you can keep it yourself. It can be used to help you track every aspect of your health, and it does not need to be limited to illnesses and injuries.
A complete journal should try to keep track of anything related to your health. There are many different things that you can include, depending on how thorough of a record you want to keep, so long as it is all information relevant to your overall health. However, no matter how in depth the journal will be, it is vital for you to document any illnesses or injuries, any hospitalizations, and any surgeries that you have undergone. It is also recommended for you to describe any allergies that you may have, and medicines, vitamins, or supplements that you take and how often, with clear dates written for your physicians. You may also choose to document any diseases or illnesses in your family. One of the most important aspects of owning this journal is to date everything. You may also choose to include footnotes on how you felt on those days.
Keeping this journal can be one of the easiest ways for you to track your health. By recording your history as it happens, and keeping track of all relevant medical information, you will be helping your doctors with the references they need. Always be sure to take this journal to your doctor’s appointments, as it can help them make the right decisions in regards to your health. Your doctor will even be able to help you keep your journal up to date.
Having this journal allows you to be a responsible patient, as you will keep track of your health history and put yourself in a stronger position of control around your healthcare. Your journal can also help you personally understand what can make you sick, and help you determine how to take better care of your body. Getting started with this journal can be easy. All that you have to do is begin keeping track of the dates and relevant information, adjusting the level of detail as you become more and more comfortable with your journal.