What to tell the doctor about cold and flu symptoms

During cold and flu season, when you finally see a doctor after a few rough days, the same thing often happens: you answer "When did it start?" without being sure, and you can't remember how high your temperature was. It's completely normal for details to slip away when you're unwell. In this post you'll find, step by step, how to note your symptoms and what you can tell your doctor.

Why keep notes during flu season?

Colds and flu can arrive with similar symptoms. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the NHS in England describe flu symptoms as often coming on suddenly, while a cold tends to build more slowly. Some symptoms are also shared with other infections such as COVID-19. So rather than trying to work out which one you have, it helps more to focus on describing what you're going through accurately; your doctor does the assessing.

Keeping notes replaces a few days of blurry memory with a clear timeline. Appointments are short, and in a few minutes your doctor wants to know when symptoms started, how they've changed and what you've tried. Short but regular notes make those minutes count.

Important: If you're struggling to breathe, have sudden or lasting pain or pressure in your chest, feel confused, faint or have a seizure, don't stop to take notes or wait for an appointment: call your country's emergency number. If symptoms get better for a while and then return worse, or a long-term condition clearly gets worse, contact a health service without delay too. Warning signs can be different in babies and young children; if you're worried about your child, get help without waiting.

The start date and temperature readings

One of the first things doctors usually ask is when your symptoms started. You only need to write this once, on the first day you feel ill; after that, you simply add to it.

• The day and time it started. A short sentence like "My throat started burning on Tuesday evening" is enough. Did the symptoms come on suddenly within a few hours, or slowly over a day or two? Add that too.
• The first symptom. Which symptom did it all start with: throat, nose, fever, tiredness or muscle aches?
• Temperature readings. Write the reading and the time together, for example "Wednesday 08:00 – 38.1 °C". It also helps to note once where you measured (mouth, armpit, ear, forehead), since results can vary by site.
• When you couldn't measure. If you don't have a thermometer or didn't take a reading, write what you felt, such as chills, shivering or hot flushes. The CDC also points out that not everyone with flu has a fever.

How long a fever lasts and how it changes matter to your doctor as much as the number itself. Leave the interpretation and what to do next to your doctor; your job is simply to record what you measured and when.

Symptoms and how they change day by day

The symptoms listed by health sources include cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headache, muscle and body aches, tiredness, loss of appetite and trouble sleeping; some people, especially children, may also have vomiting or diarrhea. You can write down which ones you have with a short list each day.

1. Take two minutes every evening. Which symptoms did you have today, which ones are new and which have gone?
2. Describe how strong they are in your own words. Phrases like "mild", "moderate" or "couldn't do my usual things" are enough. If you'd rather use a score, pick your own scale, such as 1–5, and always use the same one.
3. Describe the cough. Is it dry or chesty, and does it get worse at night? If the color of what you cough up changes, note that too.
4. Add eating, drinking and sleep. Could you eat and drink, could you sleep? These say a lot about how you're doing overall.
5. Mark the day's direction. One word at the end of the day: better, same or worse. If things improved and then got worse again, point that out clearly.

After a few days, this list tells you and your doctor a story at a glance. If you notice your symptoms dragging on or not improving, these notes also give you solid ground when you talk to your doctor.

What you took, who's ill at home and your health history

Symptoms alone aren't enough for your doctor to see the full picture; they also want to know what you've used and the context that matters for you.

• Medicines and products you used. Write down the names of any prescription or over-the-counter medicines, lozenges, sprays, syrups, vitamins, supplements and herbal products, and the time you took them. Bringing the box or taking a photo of it makes this easier. The goal isn't a recommendation, just an accurate account of what happened.
• Medicines you take regularly. Add the medicines you were already taking before you got ill, and note whether you missed any while sick.
• Similar symptoms at home and around you. Is anyone at home, at work or at school having similar symptoms, and when did theirs start? Mention it if there's a baby, an older person or someone pregnant at home.
• Your health context. Be sure to mention any long-term condition such as asthma, diabetes, heart or kidney disease, being pregnant or having recently given birth, or any condition or treatment that affects your immune system. The CDC and NHS stress that flu can be more serious in these situations.
• Vaccination and recent travel. Note whether you've had a flu vaccine this season and whether you've traveled recently.

Before starting any new medicine or product while you're ill, especially if you take regular medicines, are pregnant or have a long-term condition, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. Someone who knows your situation can judge what suits you.

Questions your doctor may ask

Thinking ahead about what your doctor might ask helps you avoid feeling rushed in the appointment. Take a look and see whether your notes can answer these:

• When and how did the symptoms start: suddenly or slowly?
• What was the highest temperature you measured, when, and for how many days has it lasted?
• Have you had any trouble breathing, or pain or pressure in your chest?
• Are you able to eat and drink, and go to the toilet as usual?
• What have you taken, and at what times?
• Is anyone at home or around you ill?
• Do you have a long-term condition, are you pregnant, or do you take any regular medicines?

You may have questions of your own, too. The US National Library of Medicine's MedlinePlus page suggests questions such as how long symptoms may last, whether you could pass it on to others and how to protect children or older people at home. Write your three most important questions at the top of your list. For general preparation, 7 notes to take to your doctor's appointment helps, and if your appointment is online, see the telehealth appointment preparation checklist. After the appointment, you can pull together what was said with 5 steps for organizing your notes after a doctor's appointment.

Keeping symptom notes in Oveluni

In Oveluni, use A note from the Quick add menu to write down your symptoms, temperature reading and time each day in a short note. With the Daily check-in, you log your mood and energy for the day in a few taps, which makes it easier to see how your sick days went later. With the Intake log, you can mark a medicine you used and its time, and add any product that isn't on your list in A note.

If you're seeing a doctor, use Add appointment to save the appointment and set a reminder; everything shows up on the same days in the Calendar. Before the appointment, you can gather the last 7 days or a range you choose into a single file with the PDF report. Your symptom notes aren't included in the report by default; you need to turn on Include notes. Oveluni reflects your records and doesn't diagnose; your doctor does the assessing. Oveluni is coming soon to the App Store.

Sources

1. CDC: Signs and symptoms of flu
2. NHS: Flu
3. MedlinePlus: Colds and the flu, what to ask your doctor