ATLANTA — There's new evidence that people who have allergies who drive can actually be impaired.
Channel 2's Carol Sparge found a new study from the Netherlands shows people with allergy symptoms who drive are comparable to people with a .03 percent blood-alcohol level.
The study focused on people with tree and grass pollen allergies and shows that drivers drove 60 minutes with a camera recording them to see how often they veered to the center lane.
Twice a week Deb Ford gets allergy shots. She said she is not surprised at the new study.
"You just don't feel good. Your eyes are watering, your nose is running. A lot of times you get really sick with it, so I can understand that," Ford said.
This technique, called standard deviation of lateral position, is used to assess drunken driving.
"It's very disturbing because, what it basically shows is that patients who have symptoms of allergic rhintis are impaired," Dr. Stanley Fineman said.
Fineman works with the Atlanta Allergy and Asthma clinic and said the impairment makes sense because patients complain of feeling tired and not feeling right.
The body releases histamine and other chemical mediators can make you feel run down.
Fineman advises people to find out what they are allergic to and get a treatment plan.
WSBTV
