What happens if someone with lupus occasionally drinks alcohol?

Written by Liu Li Ning
Rheumatology
Updated on February 19, 2025
00:00
00:00

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that can affect multiple systems and organs throughout the body and is more commonly seen in women, particularly during their childbearing years. Clinically, it is mainly characterized by fever, rash, joint pain, oral ulcers, and hair loss. In terms of diet, it is recommended to eat light and avoid spicy and irritating foods. It is crucial to strictly abstain from smoking and drinking, avoid excessive fatigue, and direct sun exposure. Importantly, patients should strictly follow medical advice regarding medication and have regular check-ups.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Lin
Rheumatology and Immunology Nephrology
1min 3sec home-news-image

What should I do if lupus causes hair loss?

What should be done when a lupus patient experiences hair loss? Patients with lupus should keep their hair clean in daily life, not use too much shampoo when washing their hair, avoid dyeing or perming their hair, and reduce the damage to hair from chemical products. This prevents rashes or worsening rashes caused by allergies to hair dyes and damage to hair quality from perming. If hair loss occurs due to the effect of medications, patients can choose to wear a wig during treatment. After chemotherapy ends, new hair will grow, so patients need not worry excessively. Maintaining a pleasant mood is also quite important for recovery from the disease. The basic pathological change in lupus patients is vasculitis. When the small blood vessels in the skin become inflamed, the nutrient supply to the hair follicles is disrupted, which can easily lead to hair loss and affect hair growth. Generally, hair can regrow after the disease is controlled. If hair loss occurs again, it could be a symptom of a disease relapse.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Lin
Rheumatology and Immunology Nephrology
1min 2sec home-news-image

Can lupus be inherited?

Lupus erythematosus is not a genetic disease, but it is a disease with a genetic predisposition. This means that genetic diseases refer to monogenic diseases, including albinism, color blindness, etc., which are determined by a pair of alleles. However, lupus erythematosus is a disease with a genetic predisposition, determined by multiple genes. Although lupus erythematosus is not a genetic disease, if your parents have lupus erythematosus, the chance of the next generation developing lupus erythematosus is about 1% to 16%. This relationship is especially significant between mothers and daughters, and among sisters. Genetic factors account for approximately 20% of the importance in the development of lupus erythematosus. Only the combination of genetic factors and environmental factors together can lead to the occurrence of lupus erythematosus.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Lin
Rheumatology and Immunology Nephrology
23sec home-news-image

For lupus, register under the department of Rheumatology.

Patients with lupus should visit the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, as lupus is a clinically complex autoimmune disease. Many people think that lupus is a skin disease, but this is not the case. Lupus is a rheumatic and immunological disease, belonging to the category of rheumatic immunological diseases, and is an uncommon autoimmune disease.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Lin
Rheumatology and Immunology Nephrology
1min 6sec home-news-image

What should I do if I have a fever with lupus erythematosus?

When patients with lupus experience fever, the fundamental approach is the use of ample steroids or other immunosuppressive drugs for treatment, which generally can quickly normalize body temperature. However, some patients may also experience fever during steroid use, possibly due to the steroids reducing immune function and inducing a bacterial infection. At this point, it is necessary to find evidence of infection and promptly treat with adequate sensitive antibiotics. Then, there will certainly be questions about why patients with lupus who have a fever cannot use antibacterial drugs or antipyretics. This is because fever in lupus patients is often an important indicator of disease activity. During acute phases, the fever is typically high, not caused by external infections, thus antibacterial drugs are ineffective. Using antipyretics can temporarily normalize body temperature, but once the effect of the medication wears off, the high fever may recur. Patients with lupus should not casually use medications. If medication is needed, it should be used under the guidance of a doctor.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Liu Li Ning
Rheumatology
50sec home-news-image

Can women with lupus erythematosus have sexual intercourse?

Women with lupus can engage in sexual activity. Sexual activity itself does not affect systemic lupus erythematosus, but it is essential to use contraception. It is recommended to use condoms for contraception. The use of contraceptive pills or withdrawal method is generally not recommended. This is because, in case of an unplanned pregnancy, there could be a risk of triggering a flare-up of the disease. Moreover, the risk of miscarriage or embryonic developmental arrest in pregnant women with lupus is much higher than in healthy individuals. If there are plans for pregnancy, it should only be considered after the disease has been stable for more than six months. During pregnancy, it is crucial to follow medical advice strictly regarding medication and to regularly undergo prenatal screening.