Even the most experienced performers can be sidelined by a nasty sinus infection.

In May of 2016, Ariana Grande was forced to cancel her performance at the Rock in Rio concert in Portugal due to symptoms from a sinus and throat infection, reported Yahoo! News. Grande was devastated and took the time to write an apology to her fans. 

"I'm deeply saddened to tell my babes in Portugal that I have to cancel my performance at Rock in Rio," she wrote on Instagram. "I've literally been crying over this for an hour. I have a throat and sinus infection, and my doctors have advised me not to sing for a few days."

Huffington Post reported that her symptoms continued to give her problems, and three years later, she also had to cancel a concert in Lexington, Kentucky, for similar reasons.

Sinus experts at Scottsdale Sinus and Allergy Center recommend that patients be aware of the potential seriousness of sinus infections and to seek treatment before the issue begins to affect their quality of life.

"Sinus headaches essentially come from either air or mucus getting trapped in your sinuses," Dr. Brian Lee of Scottsdale Sinus and Allergy Center told Arizona Business Daily. "That can get plugged up from inflammation, just from simple allergies or a cold. One of the best ways to try to quickly alleviate that would would be to take a decongestant like a Sudafed, which helps shrink down some of that inflammation to get those sinuses to ventilate a little bit or relieve the pressure."

Sinus infections occur as a result of sinusitis. Sinusitis occurs when your sinuses — the hollow, tissue-lined cavities in your skull — are inflamed and fluid builds up, allowing bacteria or viruses to grow, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. If symptoms lasts for more than three months, it is considered to be chronic sinusitis.

"Anything that causes inflammation in the body can disrupt other chronic medical issues: high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes," Lee said. "A lot of patients with chronic sinusitis typically are put on antibiotics and usually oral steroids multiple times a year, and those steroids definitely can wreak havoc on a patient's blood sugar."

Nearly 37 million Americans suffer from at least one episode of acute nasal inflammation each year, according to the American Sinus Institute.

It's important for patients to determine the nature of their symptoms to choose the best course of action to relieve pain. If you think you might benefit from seeing a doctor, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.