Safe Driving Tips For Allergy Sufferers by: News Canada

(NC)-Did you know that some medications can cause drowsiness which could affect your ability to drive your vehicle safely?

In particular, sedating antihistamines commonly used in the treatment of allergy symptoms can cause drowsiness at the wheel. If a medication does not say non-drowsy on the box then it usually means it is sedating. An allergy medication that is sedating could do any of the following:

Decrease your ability to learn

Decrease your attention span

Provoke memory loss

Interfere with your coordination and the precision of your movements

And cause inexplicable mood swings

All of these symptoms not only affect your productivity, they also affect your safety and that of others. Just think

about how a sedating medication could impair your driving skills. Safe driving simultaneously requires attentiveness, excellent coordination, quick reflexes and good memory. A medication that is sedating could affect any of these requirements and could therefore affect your driving.

Not all allergy medications are created equal. There are non-sedating alternatives available like Claritin that will relieve the sneezing and itching of the nose, eyes and throat while letting you perform to the maximum of your abilities.

Here are some helpful safety tips from the allergy experts at Claritin that you can consider before you take the wheel:

Look for the words non-drowsy, or non-sedating on the package of your allergy medication. In other words, any other expression or word combination may be misleading. If you're not sure about what you're buying, ask your pharmacist to explain the different wording.

Avoid the misconception that certain stimulants like coffee will keep you alert over an extended time period. Coffee or other sources of caffeine are short-term stimulants only.

Avoid alcohol: even small amounts can affect your driving, especially if combined with certain medications.

For more information on how to control allergies this season call 1-800-665-1507 or visit www. claritin. ca.

Author:
News Canada

About the Author:
News Canada provides a wide selection of current, ready-to-use copyright free news stories and ideas for Television, Print, Radio, and the Web. News Canada is a niche service in public relations, offering access to print, radio, television, and now the Internet media, with ready-to-use, editorial "fill" items. Monitoring and analysis are two more of our primary services. The service supplies access to the national media for marketers in the private, the public, and the not-for-profit sectors. Your corporate and product news, consumer tips and information are packaged in a variety of ready-to-use formats and are made available to every Canadian media organization including weekly and daily newspapers, cable and commercial television stations, radio stations, as well as the Web sites Canadians visit most often. Visit News Canada and learn more about the NC services.