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

• Being older than 60
• Having had a recent blood transfusion
• Nutritional deficiencies, such as deficiencies of vitamins C, K, or B12, or folic acid
• Pregnancy
• Widespread infection that causes the buildup of toxin in the blood or tissues (sepsis)

Lifestyle choices

• Alcohol abuse or withdrawal
• Drug abuse or withdrawal
• High-risk sexual behavior
• Smoking or other tobacco use

Medications

• Anticoagulants, such as aspirin, enoxaparin (Lovenox), heparin, or warfarin (Coumadin)
• Corticosteroids, such as prednisone
• Estrogens, such as in hormone replacement therapy or oral contraceptives
• Medications to prevent organ transplant rejection
• Medications to treat cancer (chemotherapy)
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen
• Radiation therapy

Diseases

• Autoimmune diseases, such as lupus
• Bleeding disorders, such as hemophilia or von Willebrand's disease
• Cancer
• Decreased blood flow (venous insufficiency)
• Diabetes
• Eating disorders, such as anorexia or bulimia
• Heart failure
• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
• Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP)
• Kidney disease
• Liver disease
• Malabsorption syndromes
• Malnutrition
• Multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Spinal cord injury
• Stroke