40 million Americans suffer with sinus problems. A new "balloon procedure" may help them breath easier.
Spring time is typically the worst time for Tiffany White who suffered for years from chronic sinus infections.
Doctor Alan Keyes suggested that White try a new procedure called balloon sinuplasty. The procedure uses an inflated balloon to open up clogged sinuses.
"When the balloon is dilated, it's not much wider then a couple of straws put together," explained Dr. Keyes.
First, the doctor puts a tube in the patients nose and runs it through the narrow sinus passages. The doctor then feeds a very thin wire through the tube, threads a balloon over the wire and inflates it, then pulls the whole thing out.
The procedure takes less then 15 minutes, but Dr. Keyes said the results should last a lifetime.
"It actually causes some tears in the mucosa in a pattern that causes them to tear open a little and they stay open," Keyes explained.
White said her recovery was relatively painless. It has now been two months since her surgery and she said so far, so good.
"Normally I would've had another sinus infection, so it's working for me," said White.