How and why to track your COPD symptoms

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a group of lung and airway disorders that make it more difficult for a person to breathe. The two main types are emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Most people with COPD have a combination of both, and a person will often experience the severe shortness of breath caused by emphysema as well as the cough and excess mucus production caused by chronic bronchitis.

If you or a loved one is living with COPD, tracking symptoms is an essential part of managing the condition.

Keep a symptom journal or use a tracker

If you’re living with COPD, it’s important to check in with yourself each day. One of the best ways to do this is by keeping a symptom journal or using a symptom tracker, a daily assessment of the symptoms you are experiencing and how you feel overall.

Taking a few minutes for a daily assessment will help give you a sense of how your breathing feels when symptoms are well controlled. It also gives you time to think about—and make note of—any small changes that you notice. COPD symptoms can worsen gradually. It can be difficult to compare how you feel today with how you felt three weeks ago, but having a record can give you a much clearer picture. Any new or worsening symptom is better addressed sooner than later.

Here are some things to track in a COPD symptom journal or tracker:

• Any symptoms you experience, such as shortness of breath, wheezing, chest tightness, coughing, and coughing with mucus (note the color of mucus).
• Any changes in symptoms, including symptoms that are noticeably worse as well as improvements. Improvements in symptoms are important when assessing how maintenance therapies are working.
• Anything you did that was difficult, made more difficult by COPD symptoms, or made COPD symptoms or breathing worse.
• What treatments you used and at what times of day you used each.
• Flares or exacerbations, episodes where COPD symptoms became noticeably worse. Note any medications you used to manage a flare and how the flare responded to that medication.
• Notes on how you feel overall, including mood, energy levels, how you slept, and your appetite.
• Any biometric data you are able to record with a device, such as heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation.
• Any information that your healthcare provider has asked you to record.

How to use the information you record in your journal or tracker:

• Review your entries to prepare for your healthcare appointments and prioritize what you need to discuss with your healthcare provider.
• Share the information you’ve recorded with your pulmonologist or other healthcare provider. This information is useful for identifying patterns in symptoms and assessing how treatment is working.
• Review entries to help identify triggers, anything that worsens COPD symptoms. Reviewing entries can also help you identify the times you’ve felt your best.
• Regular assessments can help you identify any unmet needs in treatment. For example, how COPD is affecting your quality of life or a particular part of your life.

What type of journal or tracker should you use?

There are many options. Pen and paper, printable symptom tracking sheets, a spreadsheet, apps, and other types of electronic documents are all possible methods.

There is no best option, only the method that works best for you. The most important factors are that your method allows you to capture the information you need to and that you’re able to use it consistently (ideally each day).