In treating your heart failure, you are one of your doctor's most important partners.

Working together as a team can help you both manage your heart failure better.

One key to your side of the partnership is being a good detective.

Watching and keeping track of your symptoms every day may give you and your doctor important clues about how you're doing.

Tracking helps you both see what symptoms are normal for you and if they change or get worse.

And that lets you and your doctor see how well your treatment is working.

Tracking will also help you see what causes your symptoms to get worse, like exercising too much or eating a meal with too much salt.

So, here are a few tips to help you keep track of your symptoms.

Use a calendar, a notebook, or an app on your phone ...

anything that helps you remember to do it every day.

As you think about your symptoms, answer questions like ...

How are you feeling today?

Is it harder to catch your breath than usual?

Are you having to prop yourself up at night to breathe?

Are you more tired than normal?

Are your feet and ankles swollen, or does your belly seem puffy?

Make sure you record whether you're feeling better or worse each day.

Then the next time you see your doctor, take your notes and talk about your symptoms.

Make sure you've got a plan that tells you what to do if your symptoms get worse.

Working together, the two of you can make the best decisions about your health.