A simple dizziness symptom diary for your Knoxville appointment

A dizziness symptom diary is a place to record what you remember before an appointment. You can use a notebook, print this page, or copy the blank log into a private note. The purpose is to help you discuss your experience with a clinician.

You do not need a complete diary before asking for care. This template is an appointment aid, not a diagnostic test, a validated rating scale, or an emergency monitoring service.

First, know when to seek help now

Sudden dizziness, trouble walking or seeing, weakness, speech changes, or a severe unexplained headache can be stroke signs. Call 911 right away for these symptoms, even if they improve. Do not finish a diary entry or wait for a callback. See the CDC's stroke warning signs.

Copy this blank episode log

Use a new copy for each episode you want to discuss. Leave anything you cannot remember blank or write “unsure.”

Date and approximate time:

What I felt, in my own words:

What I was doing when it began:

How long it seemed to last:

Other symptoms I noticed at the time:

What happened next / whether it settled:

Did I fall or almost fall? Any injury?

Task or activity it interrupted:

What I want to ask the clinician:

Who wrote this note / who observed the event:

These prompts reflect the kinds of questions described in the NIH/NIDCD balance-disorders resource: the sensation, its timing, the situation, and symptoms that occur alongside it. Your clinician may ask different or additional questions.

Keep an entry short and honest

Write what you noticed when you can do so safely. An approximate time should stay approximate. If you remember the activity but not the duration, record the activity and leave the timing uncertain.

Keep observations separate from explanations. “It began while I turned” describes timing. It does not prove that turning caused a particular condition. If you already have instructions from your clinician, use their requested format rather than treating this template as a replacement.

Avoid deliberately bringing on symptoms to complete a field. The log records an experience; it does not ask you to perform a maneuver or repeat a difficult task.

Include your question, not just the event

The question line is a place for what matters to you. You may want to ask whether another assessment is needed, how to respond if the pattern changes, or what information to bring next time.

If someone helps you write, identify whose account is recorded. They can note what they saw while leaving space for your own description. A note from a helper should not quietly replace your experience with their interpretation.

Bring the diary privately to the appointment

APTA recommends preparing symptoms, questions, and medication information for a physical therapy visit. See its visit-preparation guide. Keep any separate medication list current; this diary does not advise starting, stopping, or changing medicine.

Ask the practice how to share clinical notes. Do not paste a completed diary or detailed medical history into the public consultation form. Bring it privately to the clinician through the agreed process, and keep your copy somewhere you control.

Arrange a Knoxville conversation

You can read what an in-home vestibular PT visit may involve and the vestibular therapy service overview before arranging care. For a routine inquiry, request a consultation.

Knox Vestibular PT offers in-home appointments Friday through Sunday, with the time confirmed separately. Its standard service area is within 15 miles of downtown Knoxville. Confirm your address and visit arrangements during scheduling; completing a diary does not reserve an appointment.