Many conditions, lifestyle choices, medicines, and diseases interfere with your ability to heal or fight disease. 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

• Age older than 60
• A head injury within the past 4 weeks
• A mental health problem, such as an anxiety disorder or depression
• High altitude
• Pregnancy or recent delivery
• Surgery to remove the spleen

Lifestyle choices

• Alcohol abuse or withdrawal
• Drug abuse or withdrawal
• Smoking or other tobacco use

Medicines

• Amphetamines
• Aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines
• Beta2-agonist medicines, such as albuterol, aminophylline, ephedrine, epinephrine, terbutaline, and theophylline
• Progesterone

Diseases

• Anemia
• Asthma
• Cancer
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
• Diabetes
• Heart arrhythmias
• Heart disease
• Heart failure
• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
• Kidney disease
• Liver disease
• Lung disease
• Panic disorder
• Pneumonia
• Pulmonary edema
• Pulmonary embolus
• Pulmonary fibrosis
• Sepsis
• Sickle cell disease
• Stroke
• Thyroid problems, such as Graves' disease and hyperthyroidism