What to record in a POTS symptom log

Start with the event

A heart-rate number on its own can leave out why you wrote it down. Begin with the symptom and situation: standing in a queue, sitting after a shower, or resting after an activity.

The NHS describes symptoms associated with standing and clinical assessment of heart rate and blood pressure. A diary can preserve observations for that assessment; it does not establish POTS.

Label measurements and estimates

If you record a measurement, add the device and time. “Watch showed 118 bpm” identifies the source; “heart racing” is a symptom description. Both can belong in a record, but they are different kinds of information.

Do not repeatedly provoke symptoms to create a more complete log. Ask your clinician whether any home measurements are appropriate and how to perform them safely.

Keep intake records separate from targets

If your care team asks you to log fluids or sodium, use their plan and the same units each time. Record what you consumed rather than assuming it met a goal.

Generic internet salt or fluid targets may not suit your circumstances. The purpose of a log is to describe your day, not to choose a treatment amount.

The sodium serving-size guide explains the record arithmetic without setting an intake goal.

Match posture to the time of the observation

Record the posture you were in when you noticed a symptom, then describe any change afterward. “Standing when lightheaded; sitting when I looked at my watch” preserves two different moments. A pulse noticed after sitting down should not be relabelled as the pulse while standing.

You can write a useful note without a measurement. Do not stay upright, recreate an episode or repeat a standing test just to fill an empty field. The NHS describes clinical assessment before and after standing and notes that similar symptoms can have other causes. An everyday diary sequence is not equivalent to that assessment.

• Keep “heart racing” as a symptom description if no pulse was measured. Do not assign it a number.
• For a saved screenshot, preserve the displayed measurement time separately from when the screenshot was taken.
• If an event crossed midnight, write both dates. If posture is uncertain, record “not remembered.”
• Use the episode context mapper for a short description and PDF. Follow your clinician’s instructions for any requested home measurements; the tool supplies no diagnostic threshold or intake target.

Keep wearable readings in their original context

If a watch supplies a value, label it as a watch reading and record its time if known. A screenshot or original export may preserve information lost when you copy one number into a diary. Note when a value was noticed after the symptom rather than at its onset. Those times should not silently become the same.

A sensation such as “heart racing” belongs in the symptom field even when no device was used. It should not be converted into a numerical pulse. Conversely, a device value does not describe how you felt or whether you had to stop an activity. Keeping those facts alongside each other gives your care team a clearer record while leaving interpretation to them.

Summarize situations, not just extremes

For a visit, group a few dated examples by situation: standing in a queue, a changed routine, or an activity you could not complete. Explain whether these were selected events or whether you recorded the whole period. “Four recorded episodes while preparing food; other days not recorded” is more transparent than a chart that makes all unlogged days look symptom-free.

If fluids or sodium are part of an agreed plan, keep their quantities and units in separate intake records. Do not turn an association between a recorded intake and an easier day into proof of a treatment effect. Your clinician can advise what to track, whether measurements are appropriate, and how to respond to concerning symptoms. The appointment notes tool helps organize those questions without setting clinical thresholds.

Make a summary usable at an appointment

Group notes by date and identify the situations you want to discuss. Include what you did next and whether you were able to continue the activity. Mark days you could not record.

Ballast provides POTS-focused records and report features. Home standing or lean-test results still require clinical interpretation and cannot rule out other causes. Seek medical care for fainting, chest pain, or new concerning symptoms.

Use the free resources with this guide

Open the pots & dysautonomia free resources to choose a browser log or printable sheet. The appointment notes tool turns your own answers into a downloadable note. Read the preview before sharing it and keep original records when requested. Neither tool interprets your entries or sends them to a healthcare professional.