Grand Canyon Times

For nearly 37 million Americans, a sinus infection can be a painful issue, but it can also result in financial losses.

Even famous performers have been forced off the stage as they are forced to deal with the symptoms linked to this condition.

In 2016, a sinus infection forced Grammy-award-winning singer Ariana Grande to cancel shows in Portugal after she dealt with a painful sinus infection that made singing and performing impossible. Yahoo! News reported at the time that the singer canceled the performance at the Rock in Rio music festival as the result of a sinus infection and throat infection. She had canceled the appearance on doctor’s orders. 

“I have a throat and sinus infection, and my doctors have advised me not to sing for a few days,” Grande wrote on Instagram. “I promise to make it up to you and give you the best show I'm capable of when I return. Again, I'm so sorry to the babes who were coming to see me. I love you with all my heart.”

Three years later, in 2019, Grande once again was silenced by a sinus infection, which, according to Huffington Post, forced her to cancel a show in Lexington, Kentucky. Grande said on Instagram that she had been performing under the weather for quite some time before canceling the appearance. 

“I don’t know how it’s possible, but my throat and head are still in so much pain,” Grande said on Instagram. “I sound okay. I’m just in a lot of pain, and it’s difficult to breathe during the show. I am seeing my doctor and trying my best to get better for tomorrow’s show. The last thing I would ever want to do is cancel a show at this point with so few left.”

The causes of nasal inflammation vary greatly, and so do the potential treatments.

Diana Ruiloba, a physician assistant at Arizona Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers, noted that sinusitis can have a big impact on a person’s quality of life, as evidenced by Grande’s canceled performances.

“It can impact life from a sleep standpoint. If you are not breathing well, you are not sleeping well. If you are not sleeping well, you are not able to perform daily tasks to your best potential,” Ruiloba told Grand Canyon Times. “There can also be a financial impact, if you are having to routinely manage sinusitis with medications or by having to take days off of work or school.”

During her 2019 bout with sinus infection, Grande used what appeared to be a humidifier to help her beat the condition, but she still had difficulty swallowing the next day, according to the Huffington Post.

If you are interested in evaluating your sinus or allergy symptoms and are considering seeing a doctor, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.