Even the top athletes in the world can be thrown off their game by sinus problems.
In the 2018 Winter Olympics, British skeleton racer Lizzy Yarnold slipped from first to third place after suffering from a sinus infection during her event, The Sun reported.
"I've got a bit of a throat and sore sinusy thing going on," she told The Sun on Feb. 16, 2018. "I think I'm just struggling to breathe enough. It's very cold here, and it's actually a little bit dusty as well."
Yarnold recovered in time to win her second gold medal at the Winter Olympics. She set a track record on the the third run to claim first place and later called the feat her greatest achievement.
Sinus problems can be debilitating in many ways, according to Diana Ruiloba, a physician assistant at Arizona Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers in Scottsdale.
"It can impact life from a sleep standpoint," she told Arizona Business Daily. "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."
Sinus problems can also affect your ears, according to the clinic's Dr. John Stewart.
“It may be a surprise to some people, but your ear, in fact, is a part of your sinus anatomy," Stewart told Arizona Business Daily. "The definition of a sinus is a mucous membrane-lined cavity with a valve that drains into the nose. Your eustachian tube is a mucous membrane-lined cavity, has a valve and connects your middle ear to your nose. Eustachian tube dysfunction can occur due to untreated, chronic sinusitis and can cause symptoms such as pain, pressure and fullness in one or both ears.”
Eustachian tubes are small tubes that run between your middle ears and the upper throat. They are responsible for equalizing ear pressure and draining fluid from the middle ear, the part of the ear behind the eardrum, Healthline reported. The eustachian tubes are usually closed, except for when you chew, swallow or yawn.
Yarnold's sinus issues were caused by an inner ear issue.
Sinusitis is primarily caused by the common cold and typically lasts between a week and 10 days, according to Mayo Clinic. If the condition lasts 12 weeks or more, despite medical treatment, it's considered chronic sinusitis.
Arizona Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers offers an online Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz to help evaluate your sinus symptoms.