Acetaminophen is an alternative in such cases. Nasal washes are inexpensive, simple to use, and may be helpful, particularly for children. One 1998 study reported that in children with chronic maxillary sinusitis, nasal washes improved their condition. Another study found that neither a simple saline or hypertonic saline nasal wash has any effect on sinusitis, although the nasal wash in the study may not have used sufficient fluid. Expectorants, which are drugs that cause mucus to be coughed up from the lungs and may help promote draining and reduce tissue swelling, are sometimes recommended for treatment of sinusitis.
Expectorants generally contain ingredients that thin mucus secretions called mucolytics.
They prevent complications, relieve symptoms, and reduce the risk of chronic sinusitis. There is much evidence, however, that antibiotics are inappropriately prescribed for about half of sinusitis cases. Other more recent studies have reported that antibiotics are significantly more effective than placebo for most patients. Until recently, the antibiotic most widely prescribed for acute sinusitis was amoxicillin, a form of penicillin that is both inexpensive and effective. Ampicillin, also a form of penicillin, is an equally inexpensive alternative to amoxicillin but requires more doses, should not be taken with meals, and may have a higher risk for diarrhea than amoxicillin.