Many conditions, lifestyle choices, medicines, 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

• Are pregnant
• Are older than age 60
• History of ectopic pregnancy
• Previous abdominal surgery
• Family history of abdominal problems

Lifestyle choices

• Alcohol abuse or withdrawal
• Drug abuse or withdrawal
• Tobacco use

Medicines

• Corticosteroids, such as prednisone
• Medicines to prevent organ transplant rejection
• Medicines used to treat cancer (chemotherapy)
• Radiation therapy

Diseases

• Abdominal aortic aneurysm
• Blood vessel disease (vascular disease)
• Bowel obstruction
• Cancer
• Diabetes
• Diverticulosis
• Endometriosis
• Gallbladder disease
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Gastrointestinal bleeding
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
• Inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Ischemic bowel disease
• Kidney disease
• Kidney stone
• Liver disease
• Pancreatitis
• Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Peptic ulcer disease
• Sickle cell disease
• Stomach ulcers