Since he makes his living as a carpenter, you'd think Dwayne Whitehead would be immune to the kinds of dust and irritants that trigger runny noses in millions of Americans.

You'd be wrong.

"I'm allergic to everything," said Whitehead, 50. "Grass, flowers, pollen, mold, all kinds of pets. … I've actually had the thought that I might need to retire somewhere else."

But the Lititz resident is hopeful that a relatively new type of sinus surgery might alleviate his symptoms better than other methods and allow him to enjoy an occasional round of golf right here in allergen-heavy Pennsylvania.

Whitehead underwent balloon sinuplasty in April at Lancaster General Hospital. During the outpatient procedure, his doctor widened constricted sinus passages using specially designed catheters and balloons.

More than 100,000 patients have undergone the procedure since the Food and Drug Administration approved it in 2005; specially trained ear, nose and throat specialists have offered it locally since last year. The aim is to improve sinus drainage and allow patients such as Whitehead to breathe freely again.

Normally, the body produces mucus to lubricate the nasal passages. But colds, allergies and non-allergic rhinitis (unexplained chronic sneezing or drippy nose) can all lead to dryness and inflammation. Swelling prevents the passages from draining, and once the sinuses constrict, painful symptoms are likely to follow.

"The key to having healthy sinuses is sinuses that drain properly," said Dr. Jeffrey Davis, who first recommends therapies such as nasal sprays and prescription medications for patients at his Manheim Township practice. "Over time, without relief, you get more narrow and more narrow, and eventually, (the passage) is always closed."

If traditional interventions don't work, balloon sinuplasty may offer relief for the worst sinusitis sufferers. X-rays and CAT scans reveal whether a patient's bone structure and the location of the swelling make him or her a candidate.

Davis compares the surgery to an old-fashioned angioplasty. Using a lighted guide, doctors gently inflate a balloon to create pressure that will widen the passages. Traditional surgery requires doctors to "eat away" at inflamed tissues with surgical tools, resulting in more bleeding and more pain.

There are other advantages over traditional endoscopic surgery: Doctors can reach more areas with the balloon technique, and the recovery is generally faster. The surgery lasts just hours, and in some areas, doctors perform it using local anesthesia.

New treatment methods are critical for people like Whitehead, who had four previous surgeries to remove nasal polyps. Nearly 30 million Americans are diagnosed with sinusitis annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Problems such as post-nasal drip, coughing and bleeding aren't just a nuisance. They reduce quality of life, whether limiting time spent outdoors, curtailing exercise or effecting on-the-job performance.

"If you ask anyone with chronic sinusitis, they tell you pretty much the same thing," said Dr. Karen Rizzo, an ear, nose and throat specialist at Otolaryngology Physicians of Lancaster. "They're tired. They get headaches. It's hard to focus. It's a vicious cycle."

Rizzo has performed about 200 balloon sinuplasties, including Whitehead's, at Lancaster General Hospital and the Surgery Center of Lancaster near Park City Center. Her colleague, Dr. Joseph Annese, offers the surgery at Ephrata Community Hospital.

The day after his surgery, Whitehead went to Rizzo's office to have nasal packing removed. He had to wear a pad on his nose in case of bleeding, and Rizzo did a post-op procedure about 10 days later.

Because the improvements from his other surgeries have lasted two years on average — despite a strict regimen of a prescription antihistamine, nasal spray and irrigation with a water pik — he expects he'll need more sinus work in the future.

For a man who had to eat with his mouth open as a child so that he could breathe, even short-term relief is a step in the right direction if it comes with fewer side effects.

"I woke up in the recovery room and I felt better than I did with any of the other surgeries," Whitehead said. "Just to be able to breathe is unbelievable."