Many conditions, lifestyle choices, medications, and
diseases interfere with your ability to heal or fight infection. You may be at
risk for a more serious problem from your symptoms if you have any of the
following. Be sure to tell your health professional.
Conditions
- A problem or condition present since birth
(congenital defect)
- Impaired vision or blindness in one
eye
- Previous injury
- Previous surgery to injured
area
- Sinusitis
- Surgery to remove the spleen
Lifestyle choices
- Alcohol abuse or withdrawal
- Drug abuse or
withdrawal
- Smoking or other tobacco use
- Facial piercings
Medicines
- Blood-thinning medicines, such as warfarin,
heparin, or aspirin
- Corticosteroids, such as prednisone or dexamethasone
- Medicines to prevent organ transplant rejection
- Medicines used to treat cancer
(chemotherapy)
- Radiation therapy
Diseases
- Arthritis
- Blood diseases, such as hemophilia and idiopathic
thrombocytopenic purpura
(ITP)
- Cancer
- Diabetes
- Human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
- Inherited bone
disease
- Kidney disease
- Liver
disease
- Lupus
- Malnutrition or an eating disorder, such
as anorexia nervosa or bulimia
- Multiple
sclerosis
- Osteomyelitis
- Osteoporosis
- Sickle
cell disease
