Seafood Allergy and a Food Diary: How to Keep Records That Are More Useful

What to record

• Time of eating, name of food and main ingredients
• Time symptoms appeared, the first symptom to appear and the order of what followed
• Where the symptoms were, how far they spread and how long they lasted
• What was done, whether medicine was taken and whether it helped
• Other things that day: exercise, alcohol, staying up late, infection, medicines, etc.

How to record with less effort

Use a phone notes app and record by item. Take photos of food packaging and ingredient lists. If symptoms are severe, ask family members to help note the times. Before a follow-up visit, put the records in time order on one page, and highlight the gaps between episodes and any possible patterns.

What the records are for

They help the doctor judge whether symptoms are related to eating, assess how severe they are, adjust what needs to be avoided and plan re-assessment. For parents, records can also reduce anxiety and avoid widening the list of foods to avoid based on impressions alone.

This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. Please follow your doctor's instructions.