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Whooping cough (pertussis) is a highly contagious infection of the respiratory system. It is often characterized by intense coughing fits, followed by a high-pitched, “whooping” sound as the person breathes in.
Before vaccines were available, whooping cough was mostly seen in children. Today, it primarily affects infants too young to complete their vaccination schedule, as well as teens and adults whose immunity has weakened over time.
While deaths from whooping cough are rare, they mostly occur in infants. Therefore, it’s crucial for pregnant women and anyone in close contact with a baby to be vaccinated against the disease.
Symptoms
After contracting whooping cough, it typically takes seven to 10 days for symptoms to develop, though in some cases it may take longer. Early symptoms are generally mild and similar to those of a common cold, such as:
- Fever
- Cough
- Runny nose
- Nasal congestion
- Red, watery eyes
The signs and symptoms get worse after a week or two. Your airways fill with thick mucus, which makes you cough uncontrollably. Prolonged and severe coughing fits may:
- Make you throw up
- Make your face red or blue
- Make you extremely tired
- Finish with a high-pitched “whoop” sound when you take a breath.
Still, a lot of people never acquire the distinctive whoop. Sometimes the only indication that a teen or adult has whooping cough is a persistent hacking cough.
Babies might not even cough. Instead, they might have difficulty breathing or may even experience temporary pauses in their breathing.
Contact your doctor if your child or you experience extended coughing fits that result in:
- Vomit
- Turn red or blue
- Inhale with a whooping sound;
- Appear to be having difficulty breathing or to have apparent pauses in breathing
Causes
Bordetella pertussis is a type of bacteria that causes whooping cough. Little droplets full of germs are released into the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes, entering the lungs of anyone who happens to be close.
Risk factors
The immunization against whooping cough that you get as a youngster ultimately wears off. Because of this, the majority of adults and teenagers are vulnerable to the virus during an outbreak, which still happens frequently.
The greatest risk of serious problems and even death is present in infants under the age of one year who are unvaccinated or have not completed the full series of recommended vaccines.
Diagnosis
Early on, whooping cough symptoms might be confusing for other common respiratory infections like the flu, bronchitis, or colds, making a diagnosis challenging.
Doctors can sometimes make the diagnosis of whooping cough just by listening to the cough and inquiring about symptoms. The diagnosis might need to be confirmed by medical testing. These examinations could consist of:
- Nose or throat culture and test: Your doctor will take a swab or suction sample from the nasopharynx (the area where the nose and throat meet) to check for the presence of whooping cough bacteria.
- Blood tests: A blood sample may be taken to measure your white blood cell count, as white blood cells help fight infections. A high count usually signals an infection or inflammation, though this test is not specific to whooping cough.
- Chest X-ray: Your doctor might request an X-ray to look for inflammation or fluid in the lungs, which can occur when pneumonia complicates whooping cough or other respiratory infections.
Treatment
Because whooping cough is more deadly in infants, treatment for the illness usually involves hospitalization. Your youngster may require IV fluids if they are unable to swallow food or liquids. In order to stop the infection from spreading, your youngster will also be kept apart from other people.
Most older children’s and adults’ treatments can be handled at home.
Medications
Antibiotics eliminate the bacteria responsible for whooping cough and aid in accelerating recovery. Family members who have been exposed could get prophylactic antibiotics.
Sadly, there isn’t much that can be done to ease the cough. For example, over-the-counter cough medications are not recommended and have minimal effect on whooping cough.
