Conditions that may affect your driving

There are medical conditions that may hinder one’s ability to perfom certain tasks. PHOTO| FILE

“Without my glasses, I can barely drive at night,” Faith Akite said as she drove back one evening with friends. It was so bad that she had to ask a friend to drive, something she had never done. “That showed us how serious it was because Faith rarely lets anyone drive her car,” a friend says.

Dr Francis Asiimwe, a general physician at Ultracare Medical Services, says medical conditions that may hinder one’s ability to drive are those that affect the main faculties involved in operating a vehicle. These are the nervous system, the eyes, the ears, the musculoskeletal system, the heart, lungs and any serious systemic or organ disease.

Starting with the nervous system, Dr Asiimwe suggests that it may be grouped into conditions affecting the brain, or the nerves coordinating the rest of body to brain, such as: sleep deprivation or sleep disorders: One that is either sleep depraved or has a sleep disorder cannot operate a car with finesse. That is not to mention that one can easily sleep off while driving which will ultimately result in accidents and loss of life.

Alcohol/ substance abuse

These undermine one’s mental faculties thus poor functionality. As such, they are actually not supposed to operate vehicles at all because they can easily make wrong judgements. Drug side effects include sedating, dystonic, dehydrating, hypoglycaemic. All these effects negatively affect one’s functionality thus undermining their ability to drive.

Epilepsy

Seizures will undoubtedly be a potential source of accidents and injuries, which justifies limitations on driving for those liable to getting epileptic seizures. One who gets recurrent seizures can surely not handle a vehicle well.

Dementia

It can be caused by several diseases such as stroke, and Alzheimer’s disease. When one is diagnosed with dementia it is important to get treatment as one gets worse with time. Therefore, symptoms such as memory loss, visual-spatial disorientation, and decreased cognitive function will worsen with time.

Glaucoma

Dr Mwanja says this is caused by increased pressure in the eye leading to a damaged retina. One with glaucoma continually starts failing to see things on the sides such as an overtaking vehicle.

Cataracts

These occur when the lens of the eye becomes opaque, resulting in blurred vision. Cataracts could affect either one or both eyes and are very common.

However, for one to drive safely, they need clear vision, therefore, Alex Ntambi, the Fleet Supervisor at MTN Uganda, says one with cataracts faces difficulty while driving and the impact increases with the seriousness of the cataracts; in earlier stages, one may drive with little or no difficulty and in advanced stages leads to glare from headlights, and poor night vision.

However, all hope is not lost because corrective surgery can be done to reduce the symptoms, making driving a possibility, yet again.

Dr Asiimwe goes on to share several other conditions that affect one’s driving ability.

Heart conditions

These cause sudden inhibition and circulatory compromise whose common cause is heart attacks and are due to heart conditions that are not diagnosed or poorly managed. These conditions include fat accumulation and blockage, drugs and substance overdose, especially high caffeine as is in energy drinks, hypertension, kidney disease, thyroid disease, heart structural and conduction anomalies. Infections here include infective endocarditis which often sequel to recurrent dental disease, upper respiratory disease, purulent skin disease or renal disease. Other viral or bacterial conditions occur especially in alcoholics.

Lung conditions

They are also due to undetected or poorly managed diseases and these can be of sudden onset such as an asthmatic attack. Others are infections like pneumonias, severe bronchitis and tuberculosis. Collapsed lungs and pleural rubs due to cancers and other diseases can also cause sudden severe pains inhibiting ability to control a vehicle.

Old age

Though it is not a medical condition, Mzee Kawesi attests to fact that he can no longer drive.