Selena Gomez suffers from lupus.

The 21-year-old singer's grandfather has confirmed she has the auto-immune disease following rumours she was battling the condition ''a couple of years ago'' but insists she is learning to cope with the illness.

Ricardo Gomez told RadarOnline.com: ''She's in treatment. She's getting along pretty good.''

The 'Come & Get It' singer is also believed to have checked into rehab earlier this year following her split from on/off boyfriend Justin Bieber.

Ricardo was quick to provide words of warning for his granddaughter, urging her to seek help from medical experts and take time away from her busy schedule.

He explained: ''We just saw in some newspaper that she was doing drugs. I called her and said, [you] need to watch out ... She was working a lot. She was exhausted. She hardly takes some time out. There was some pressure, first because it's a lot of work.

''The doctor was telling her she needs to take some time out It's just too much pressure what she's going through. It's just too much! She doesn't have a single day's break ... It's getting to the point with all this pressure ... that it's too much.

''Everyone was telling her, even her agent and the doctor, 'Selena take some time to yourself!' ''

Ricardo even hinted that the former 'Wizards of Waverly Place' actress turned popstar could be close to giving up her singing career.

He said: ''She was saying she don't want to sing no more, she just wants to be an actress ... but she's going to combine it, it looks like.''