What is the difference between fever caused by lupus erythematosus and an ordinary fever?

　　Fever, also known as pyrexia, is a common symptom. The differences between fever caused by lupus and general fever typically include different causes, duration, accompanying symptoms, responses to medication, and patterns. If any abnormalities occur, timely medical consultation is recommended. The detailed analysis is as follows:

　　1. Different causes: Fever caused by lupus results from abnormal autoimmune responses, where the immune system attacks the body's own tissues causing inflammatory reactions. General fever is commonly caused by infection with pathogens such as bacteria or viruses, prompting the body to initiate defense mechanisms against the foreign invasion.

　　2. Different durations: Lupus-related fever often presents as long-term low-grade fever or recurring fever lasting for weeks or even months, which is difficult to relieve spontaneously; general fever usually subsides gradually with controlled infection and has a shorter duration, typically lasting for several days.

　　3. Different accompanying symptoms: Lupus-related fever is often accompanied by autoimmune-related symptoms such as rashes, joint pain, and oral ulcers; general fever is commonly accompanied by symptoms related to the infected site, such as coughing, sore throat, and diarrhea, directly associated with the location of the infection.

　　4. Different responses to medications: Ordinary antipyretics have limited effectiveness on fever caused by lupus, which requires immunomodulatory drugs for control; general fever can be effectively reduced with antipyretics, and combined with anti-infective treatments, symptoms can be rapidly relieved.

　　5. Different fever patterns: Lupus-related fever lacks a clear pattern, can occur at any time of the day, and has minimal temperature fluctuations; general fever often follows a certain pattern, such as increasing in the afternoon or at night, with relatively larger temperature fluctuations.

　　When fever of unknown origin occurs along with unusual symptoms, prompt medical consultation and examination are necessary to identify the underlying cause for targeted treatment, avoiding self-medication that may mask the disease.