When it comes to tracking your pericarditis triggers, start with the basics: what your symptoms feel like and if, how, and when they change.
“The most important elements are the initial symptom profile and the expected gradual improvement over time,” Rambhatla says.
He suggests keeping track of your symptoms each day, including:
- Pain severity
- Pain quality (sharp, positional, when breathing or coughing)
- Related symptoms such as fatigue or fever
You don’t need to track everything, however. While things such as your heart rate or blood pressure can be helpful, Rambhatla says a simple written log of your symptoms and activity is usually enough — and often is the most useful. He says at-home inflammation tests are not usually recommended because they may not be reliable.
If you had fluid around your heart when you were diagnosed with pericarditis, your doctor may use follow-up imaging to make sure it’s going away. How often you need scans depends on the size of the fluid buildup, your symptoms, and how you are responding to treatment.
Always talk to your healthcare team before making any changes to your treatment. Remember, tracking is a tool for conversation, not a replacement for a medical plan.
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