What may increase your risk for problems after a facial injury?
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
Medications
- Blood-thinning medications, such as warfarin, heparin, or aspirin
- Corticosteroids, such as prednisone or Hexadrol
- Medications to prevent organ transplant rejection
- Medications 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
| Author: | Jan Nissl, RN, BS | Last Updated: May 15, 2007 |
| Medical Review: | William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine H. Michael O'Connor, MD - Emergency Medicine | |
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