Lady Gaga Just Cancelled Her Las Vegas Show Because of Bronchitis and a Sinus Infection
Lady Gaga is only human—and that means she, too, is subject to falling ill during cold and flu season.
The singer revealed on her Instagram Stories she was forced to cancel the Wednesday night show of her Las Vegas residency, due to coming down with a sinus infection and bronchitis.
“I’m so devasted [sic] I can’t perform tonight for so many people who traveled to come see me,” she wrote. “I have a sinus infection and bronchitis and feel very sick and sad.” In the photo, Gaga also appears to have an IV in her arm and a breathing tube in her mouth.
“I never want to let you down,” she continued. “I’m just to [sic] weak and ill too[sic] perform tonight. I love you little monsters I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”
What is bronchitis—and what is a sinus infection?
Bronchitis is a condition in which the airways in the lungs (aka the bronchial tubes) become inflamed. There are two types — acute and chronic — with the most common being acute bronchitis, which is a shorter, less severe version, and is what most people are diagnosed with.
The key symptom of acute bronchitis is a cough, often accompanied with clear, white, yellow, or green phlegm, Emily Pennington, MD, a pulmonologist at Cleveland Clinic, previously told Health. Chest tightness and a low-grade fever may also be present.
Sinus infections, on the other hand, occur when your sinuses—or the hollow, tissue-lined cavities in your skull—are inflamed and fluid builds up, allowing bacteria or viruses to grow, according to the US National Library of Medicine (NLM),
Common symptoms of sinus infections include nasal congestion, discolored mucous from the nose, post nasal drainage, facial pain, facial pressure, and decreased smell and taste.
In both of these situations—bronchitis and sinus infections—a virus like the common cold is the main culprit. In fact, cold and flu season is when most cases of bronchitis and sinus infections are diagnosed, as that’s when respiratory viruses peak. However in some cases, bacteria may cause bronchitis or sinus infections.
So, how are bronchitis and sinus infections treated?
Unfortunately, for both bronchitis and sinus infections, you may just have to wait them out.
Bronchitis, while it will generally go away on its own, can take up to three weeks to fully resolve—and even then, a lingering cough can last for up to eight weeks. You can, however, treat your symptoms by taking cough relief or decongestant medications, along with getting plenty of rest and fluids.
The same goes for sinus infections, which typically don’t last longer than four weeks—but can begin to clear up within a few days. The best course of action there is to try nasal irrigation, nasal steroid sprays, or oral decongestants.
In both cases, if symptoms don’t clear up with symptom management after 10 days, you may want to see your doctor again so they can prescribe antibiotics.
As for Gaga, so far her Wednesday night show was the only one cancelled. However, if you have tickets to see her live in Sin City this weekend, due to the average recovery time of bronchitis, there’s a good chance you may need to reschedule.
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