Mike Martz, the often disparaged coach of the St. Louis Rams, drove himself to the hospital for a sinus infection. He was later admitted for treatment. There isn't a concern, as he will be on the sidelines for the upcoming St. Louis Rams at New York Giants football game.

If you've had a sinus infection you can understand the pain associated with it. For those who are unlucky enough to never have suffered one, be thankful.

So, what are the sinuses anyway? They are pockets of open space in your face that are used to equalize pressure and sometimes fluid. When the membranes of the sinus or the fluid itself becomes infected, you're the owner of Sinusitis.

The Sinus Cavities in your face.

You can usually tell if you have a sinus infection if you suffer from the following symptoms:

• Stuffiness in the facial area.
• Pressure in the facial area that is worse when bending over.
• Nasal congestion.
• Headache.
• Fever.
• Green or yellow discharge.

Sinus infections lasting less than three weeks are acute sinus infections. These can generally be handled by the following:

• Over the counter pain relief including Tylenol or Ibuprofen.
• Over the counter decongestant.
• Steam inhaled will help clear your sinuses. This can be achieved with a vaporizer or a hot cup of coffee or tea.

Sinus infections lasting more than three weeks are chronic sinus infections. These are handled by the following:

• Antibiotics.
• Steroids.
• In rare cases surgery.

It's critical to have a chronic sinus infection treated as it may lead to pneumonia or bronchitis.