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A martial arts instructor in the US was left with half a skull after a sinus infection spread to her brain.
Natasha Gunther had brain surgery to remove 5.5 inches of bone (14 cm) and prevent the mass from pressing against her brain.
The 25-year-old is now urging people not to dismiss their symptoms as just a mild infection and to see a specialist if they don't feel better.
Ms. Gunther's ordeal began in late 2021 when she wrote off her stuffy nose and sinus congestion as just another infection.
The judo black belt was used to picking up regular coughs and colds from working with children teaching martial arts classes in California.
But she became concerned when her condition did not improve despite antibiotics from her doctor.
In December, Ms. Gunther was vomiting and suffering from migraines, prompting her family to pressure her into having a brain scan.
It revealed a mass in her skull that forced doctors to cut out part of the bone on the right side of her head to relieve pressure on the brain.
She claimed doctors told her that without the operation she would be dead in a week and that the mass had caused her brain to move nine millimeters.
In rare cases, sinus infections can spread into and around the brain, requiring urgent medical treatment.
Natasha Gunther, 25 (pictured before the operation), was used to regular coughs and colds from working with children
When she got her sixth sinus infection in a year at the end of 2021, she thought nothing of it and was given antibiotics to clear it up. But things only got worse. When she went for scans, doctors discovered it had spread to her head. Part of her skull was removed (pictured after surgery) to likely relieve pressure on the brain, which can be fatal
The removed 14cm (5.5in) section of her skull is now in a freezer and doctors plan to put it back in next month. If that fails, a 3D printed piece of metal is inserted to replace the bone
Ms Gunther, who now has to wear a helmet to protect her brain, stayed in hospital for five weeks after the operation and had to relearn how to speak.
She will never be able to perform some martial arts moves like grappling - where you grab or grab your opponent - again.
The removed bone is being stored in a freezer and Ms Gunther hopes to have surgery next month to reattach it to her skull.
Sinusitis is usually caused by a viral infection in the lining of the sinuses, which are small gaps between the bones in the nasal area.
It usually goes away on its own within two weeks, but if symptoms do not improve, doctors may prescribe antibiotics to clear the infection.
In rare cases, it can spread to the soft tissue around the eye, bones in the face, and in or around the brain.
Ms Gunther posted about her infection on social media platform TikTok, along with pictures showing herself before and after surgery.
She revealed that she came down with her "fifth or sixth" sinus infection at the end of 2021.
Scans on December 12 showed the infection had spread to her brain.
That same evening, doctors rushed to perform a craniotomy - where a small area of the skull is removed and replaced so doctors can examine the infected area.
But she was then booked in for a craniectomy on December 23 to have the right side of her skull removed.
This may be done to relieve pressure on the brain that can push it onto the trunk, causing permanent damage or death, or to remove pus-filled pockets that form due to infection.
After the operation, Ms. Gunther now has to wear a helmet to protect the area of her head from which the skull bone was removed.
She said it is currently in a freezer and doctors hope to put it back into her skull in April.
If that doesn't work, they insert a 3D printed piece of metal to replace the lost skull piece.
Ms Gunther said: “I normally suffer from one sinus infection a year but last year I got more than that.
"As most people with sinus infections know, you think nothing of it and neither does my GP. I teach martial arts to children, so I'm used to getting colds.
“Surgeons told me I would have been dead within a week if I hadn't gone to hospital then.
“If you have more than one sinus infection per year, or even just one sinus infection, please go to the hospital or ENT [Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic in the USA] just to be on the safe side.
Ms Gunther now has to wear a helmet to protect her brain as part of her skull is missing. She has surgery next month to put it back in place
Ms. Gunther pictured above on the beach before the operation and practicing a martial arts move after a hike
Ms. Gunther pictured with her boyfriend Joao, who is also a martial arts instructor
"Please do not rely on your GP [GP in the UK] because it could be serious."
Speaking about her life after the operation, Ms Gunther said: “My life is very different to what it used to be.
“I used to have a busy life teaching martial arts and hanging out with friends every day, like any person in their 20s.
“When I came out of surgery I had difficulty speaking, so I have had regular speech therapy ever since.
“My friend Joao – who is also a martial arts instructor – did a lot of psychotherapy so that I could get my energy back into my body.
“But there are some martial arts moves like grappling that are too risky for me to do again.”