Nov. 6, 2019, was a low point in the career of 11-time Grammy Award-winning artist Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, better know as Lady Gaga.

She told her fans in a tweet that day that a sinus infection and bronchitis were forcing her to cancel a concert in Las Vegas scheduled for that evening.

"I'm so devastated," Lady Gaga said in her tweet. "I can't perform tonight for so many people who traveled to come see me. I have a sinus infection and bronchitis and feel very sick and sad. I never want to let you down. I'm just too weak and ill to perform tonight. I love you, little monsters. I'll make it up to you. I promise."

Lady Gaga was clearly heartbroken, but she was doing the right thing, taking care of her sinus health and seeking appropriate treatment, Dr. Nicholas Hollenkamp of the Indianapolis Sinus Center told Indiana Business Daily.

"You only get so many days in this world, and you'd like them to be enjoyable as much as possible," Hollenkamp said. "Obviously, being able to breathe is important, and not being in pain all the time is important. I think getting that stuff treated can help in a lot of ways. And the better you breathe in, the better you sleep, better a lot of things tend to work."

Otherwise, the problems caused by a sinus infection can persist, turning into chronic sinusitis.

"When you can't breathe and you've got sinus pressure all the time, it's hard to think, it's hard to concentrate and it's hard to do the things in life you want to do," Hollenkamp said.

Sinus infections happen when a person's sinuses -- which are hollow, tissue-lined cavities in the skull -- become inflamed.  Fluid builds up, allowing bacteria or viruses to grow, which leads to some very unpleasant symptoms, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Common sinus infection symptoms include nasal congestion, discolored nose mucus, post-nasal drainage, facial pain, facial pressure and decreased sense of smell and taste.

Sinus infections don't just bring down music performers, however. They can seriously hinder anyone's performance of everyday activities, which leads to lower productivity. This is because the nose is essentially an air filtration system. Its passages are connected to the airways, sinuses, throat and lungs. Relieving nasal congestion is especially important when a patient is sick. It's not a matter of just feeling better; being able to breathe properly is key for overall good health.

"If you're not breathing well through your nose and you are mouth-breathing, that changes the dynamics of oral health," Hollenkamp said. "If you're having a lot of bad drainage, purulent drainage down the back of your throat, that can certainly affect your oral health."

Not everyone responds to a sinus infection in exactly the same way, though.

"You'll see people with terrible sinuses, though it doesn't bother them that bad, and they'll just go on their way," Hollenkamp said. "Then you'll see other people where it won't look quite as bad, but it bothers them tremendously. And they'll do anything to get it fixed. So there's all kinds of different people in this world, but in general, it can be debilitating."

Anyone wondering whether they are suffering from a sinus infection or allergies should take the Indianapolis Sinus Center's online Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.