Millions of motorists could face a hefty fine and even a driving ban for taking medication to relieve their hay fever symptoms.

Pharmacists and insurance companies have warned sufferers certain antihistamines can affect your ability to drive.

Pollen levels are set to be dangerously high in parts of Wales this Easter holiday period putting sufferers at risk of a potentially life-threatening attack.

Amanda Stretton, motoring editor at Confused.com, said: “With the arrival of warmer temperatures over Easter weekend pollen counts are expected to soar and will no doubt sting a lot of drivers.

“Motorists will be desperately relying on their antihistamines to keep their symptoms at bay. But they should be aware that they could face a fine and driving ban for taking certain medication if it affects their driving ability.”

Their research found that more than half (58%) of motorists suffering from hay fever driven after taking antihistamines – and around 10% of those had felt the effects of the medication while driving.

“Some hayfever medications, such as chlorphenamine, hydroxyzine and promethazine, are known to cause drowsiness as a side effect,” Amanda added.

“Drivers who are confused about which drugs can affect their ability to drive should speak to their doctor or pharmacist for clarity.”

Struggling with hay fever? These tips could help:

Video Loading

If a police officer deems you to be unfit to drive and suspects you of taking drugs then you could be arrested and have to give blood and urine tests at a police station.

Neil Worth, GEM road safety officer, said: “Some medicines, including those used to treat hay fever, can have an effect on your ability to drive safely.

“They can affect your vision, your hearing, your reaction time, your perception of risk, and your ability to carry out a variety of tasks.

“Your vision may be blurred and you may also find it hard to focus or pay attention.

“Symptoms like this make you much more likely to be involved in a collision.”

Jodie Williamson, of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society in Wales, said older antihistamines are more likely to cause drowsiness.

She said drivers should aim to take non-drowsy antihistamines like loratadine, cetirizine, and fexofenadine if they are planning on driving this Easter break.

More stories about staying safe in the heat

“In reality, everyone will react differently to different medicines, so a small number of people will still experience drowsiness whilst taking the newer antihistamines but it’s not such a common side-effect of these drugs,” she said.

“My advice to drivers would always be to speak to your pharmacist about the right antihistamine for you.

“Choose the newer antihistamines such as loratadine and cetirizine which are less likely to cause drowsiness.

“If you’ve never taken a particular antihistamine before make sure you try it for the first time when you are not driving so that you can see how it affects you, even if it’s classed as a non-drowsy antihistamine.”

Asthma UK suggests sufferers take their prescribed preventer medicine to soothe irritated airways so they are less likely to react to the pollen trigger.

Hay fever medicines such as antihistamines can stop the allergic reaction that triggers asthma symptoms and keep itchy eyes and runny noses at bay.