Facts About Whooping Cough

Whooping Cough Deaths Are Still Happening

Whooping cough is a dangerous, infectious disease featuring spasmodic, uncontrollable coughing that continues until the patient literally runs out of breath. Whooping cough gets its name from an inspiratory stridor that results from a spasm in the throat. This spasm is what causes a "whooping" sound. These coughing "fits," as some people call them, may be followed by vomiting. Whooping cough may have a number of complications, including pneumonia, encephalitis, pulmonary hypertension, and secondary bacterial infections.

Whooping cough deaths One of the saddest facts about whooping cough is the toll it takes on human life. Health experts believe there are about 30-50 million cases of whooping cough worldwide each year. It is believed that whooping cough deaths exceed a quarter of a million annually. Ninety percent of those deaths occur in developing countries where medical attention is scarce or unavailable. Almost all whooping cough deaths occur in children under the age of one. However, adults who have whooping cough may not even know it because the symptoms are much less severe during adulthood than it is among infants and toddlers.

Whooping cough is caused by a bacterium known as the Bordetella pertussis. It is highly contagious. It spreads through contact with germs in the air that are expelled from the cough of an infected person. A case of whooping cough can last for as long as eight weeks.

Signs and symptoms of whooping cough Initial symptoms are about the same as a mild respiratory infection: coughing, sneezing, and runny nose. Eventually, the whooping cough sufferer will start coughing up some phlegm. Vomiting after a bout of coughing is one of the most identifiable signs and symptoms of whooping cough. Temperature usually remains normal, although a low grade fever may be present in some cases.

Your doctor will ask about these whooping cough signs and symptoms, but he or she may also take swabs from the nose and throat for testing. It sometimes takes about five days to get the results back.

Treating whooping cough Antibiotics like erythromycin, azithromycin and clarithromycin can be helpful in treating whooping cough, but these do not effect a cure rapidly. In fact, once coughing has started, antibiotics don't seem to shorten the duration of whooping cough at all.

Treating whooping cough in a hospital may be necessary in some cases. Infants under 3 months almost always have to be hospitalized, and those between 3 and 6 months may also need a hospital stay.

Whooping cough vaccine schedule Whooping cough has become rare in developed countries because a vaccine is available. It's often combined with scheduled vaccinations for tetanus and diphtheria. The immunizations are administered to infants and toddlers in intervals up to approximately 6 years of age.

There are many over-the-counter products available in grocery stores on online that help relieve whooping cough symptoms. To learn more, click on treating whooping cough.