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

• Bed rest for a few days or longer
• Being a man older than age 35
• Being a woman past menopause
• Being overweight
• Physical inactivity
• Previous medical procedure or surgery to the chest or heart, including angiography
• Recent surgery, especially involving the lower abdomen, pelvis, or legs
• Use of a cast or splint for a long time, especially on a leg

Lifestyle choices

• Alcohol abuse or withdrawal
• Drug abuse or withdrawal (especially cocaine and amphetamines)
• Smoking or other tobacco use

Medications

• Corticosteroids, such as prednisone
• Estrogen and oral contraceptive use
• Medications to prevent organ transplant rejection
• Medications used to treat cancer (chemotherapy)
• Radiation therapy

Diseases

• Bleeding disorders, such as hemophilia and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP)
• Blood clotting problems, such as deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism
• Cancer
• Connective tissue disorders, such as lupus and scleroderma
• Coronary artery disease
• Cystic fibrosis
• Diabetes
• An enlarged heart (cardiomyopathy)
• Heart failure
• Heart valve disease, such as mitral valve prolapse and aortic stenosis
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol levels
• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
• Irregular heart rates (arrhythmias)
• Kidney disease
• Lung diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Malnutrition or an eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia
• Marfan's syndrome
• Pulmonary hypertension
• Sickle cell disease
• Thyroid disease
• Tuberculosis (TB)