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WHOOPING COUGH

Men's Health, Women's Health / By

WHOOPING COUGH

Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is an extremely contagious disease caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. Whooping cough is also called the 100 days’ cough in some countries.

The condition gets its name from a distinctive hacking cough, which is followed by a high-pitched gasp for air that sounds like a “whoop.”

CAUSES

Whooping cough is caused by an infection by a bacterium known as Bordetella pertussis. The bacteria attach to the lining of the airways in the upper respiratory system and release toxins that lead to inflammation and swelling.

Most people acquire the bacteria by breathing in the bacteria that are present in droplets released when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

At first, whooping cough has the same symptoms as the average cold:

  • Mild coughing
  • Sneezing
  • Runny nose
  • Low fever (below 102 F)
  • You may also have diarrhea early on.
  • After about 7-10 days, the cough turns into “coughing spells” that end with a whooping sound as the person tries to breathe in air.
  • Because the cough is dry and doesn’t produce mucus, these spells can last up to 1 minute. Sometimes it can cause your face to briefly turn red or purple.
  • Most people with whooping cough have coughing spells, but not everyone does.
  • Infants may not make the whooping sound or even cough, but they might gasp for air or try to catch their breath during these spells. Some may vomit.

DIAGNOSIS

Diagnosis of whooping cough will involve an assessment of the nature and history of the symptoms. The disease can be difficult to diagnose in its early stages because of its resemblance to a common cold or bronchitis. As the whooping cough bacteria can be detected in respiratory secretions, nose and throat swabs may be taken to confirm the diagnosis. A chest x-ray and blood tests may also be performed.

TREATMENT

If doctors diagnose whooping cough early on, antibiotics can help cut down coughing and other symptoms. They can also help prevent the infection from spreading to others. Most people are diagnosed too late for antibiotics to work well, though.

Don’t use over-the-counter cough medicines, cough suppressants, or expectorants (medicines that make you cough up mucus) to treat whooping cough. They don’t work.

If your coughing spells are so bad that they keep you from drinking enough fluids, you risk dehydration. Call your doctor right away.