What may increase your risk for a problem from skin spots, growths, or bumps?
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
- Conditions that increase your risk of skin cancer, such as:
- Actinic keratoses
- A history of scar formation
- A personal history of sunburns
- Cancer, especially a personal or family history of skin cancer
- Exposure to chemical pollution or X-ray radiation
- Physical characteristics including light-colored skin, blue eyes, blond or red hair, or a large number of abnormal moles
- Pregnancy
Lifestyle choices
- Alcohol abuse or withdrawal
- Drug abuse or withdrawal
- Spending lots of time in the sun
- Using tanning beds or sunlamps
- Smoking or other tobacco use
Medicines
- Chemotherapy or radiation therapy
- Corticosteroids, such as prednisone
- Medicines to prevent organ transplant rejection
Diseases
- Cancer
- Diabetes
- Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
- Lupus
- Scleroderma
| Author: | Jan Nissl, RN, BS | Last Updated: July 10, 2007 |
| Medical Review: | William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine Alexander H. Murray, MD, FRCPC - Dermatology | |
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