Whooping Cough: Symptoms, Causes, Complications, Diagnosis, Treatment & Prevention

 

Whooping cough (pertussis) is a highly contagious respiratory tract infection. In many people, it's distinguished by a severe hacking cough followed by a high-pitched intake of breath that sounds like "whoop."

Before the development of the vaccine, whooping cough was seen as a childhood disease. However, children who are too young to have received all of the recommended immunizations, as well as adolescents and adults whose immunity has weakened, are now the main targets of whooping cough.

Although they are uncommon, whooping cough deaths mostly affect newborns. Pregnant mothers and those with close contact with an infant should thus get vaccinated against whooping cough.
Pertussis, sometimes known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious respiratory infection that produces the characteristic "whooping" cough. Weeks or months may pass with intermittent episodes of severe coughing brought on by the illness. 




Also Read: Pneumonia: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment & Prevention

What is Whooping cough?

Pertussis, another name for whooping cough, is a highly contagious upper respiratory infection. It frequently causes you to cough repeatedly and for extended periods. Following the onset of the illness's symptoms, these coughing fits may last for weeks or months.

Babies with pertussis may experience respiratory problems rather than coughing fits. This includes conditions like apnea, which causes breathing pauses. Babies who have whooping cough may develop severe, sometimes fatal consequences. Hospital care is required for around one-third of all infants (babies under one-year-old) who contract whooping cough.

The infection can be avoided with the use of the whooping cough vaccine.

Symptoms:

The symptoms of whooping cough usually show up seven to ten days after infection, however, they can occasionally take longer. They first mimic those of a regular cold and are typically mild:

• A runny nose

• Congestion of the nose

• Watery, red eyes

• Cough with a fever

Symptoms get worse after a week or two. Your airways fill with thick mucus, which makes coughing uncontrollable. Prolonged and severe episodes of coughing may:

• Cause severe exhaustion, induce vomiting, and result in a crimson or blue face

• Finish with a high-pitched "whoop" sound as you take a breath

• But a lot of people don't acquire the whoop trait. Sometimes the sole indication that a child or adult has whooping cough is a persistent hacking cough

Youngsters might not cough at all. Rather, individuals might have trouble breathing or even cease breathing for a while.

Causes:

Bordetella pertussis is the type of bacteria that causes whooping cough. Tiny germs are released into the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes, and anyone nearby can breathe them into their lungs.

Risk factors:

Your childhood whooping cough vaccination ultimately wears off. As a result, during an outbreak—which still happens frequently— most adults and teenagers are vulnerable to contracting the infection.

The risk of serious problems and death is higher for infants under 12 months old who are unvaccinated or have not received the entire recommended series of immunizations.

Complications:

Adults and teenagers frequently recover from whooping cough without any issues. When issues arise, they are typically the result of the intense coughing, like:

• Ribs that are fractured or bruise

• Hernias in the abdomen

• Your skin or the whites of your eyes may have broken blood vessels

Babies

Complications from whooping cough are more severe in infants, particularly those less than six months, and can include:

• A case of pneumonia

• Breathing slowed or stopped

• Weight loss or dehydration as a result of eating issues

• Seizures

• Damage to the brain

Infants and toddlers are more likely to require hospital treatment for whooping cough since they are the ones most at risk for complications. For newborns under six months old, complications can be life-threatening.

How is the diagnosis of whooping cough made?

A medical professional will examine you physically and inquire about your problems. They might sample the mucus in your nose with a cotton swab. They can also take a sample by filling a syringe with saline solution and flushing it into your nose and the back of your throat.

The provider will send the samples to a laboratory, where a technician will check them for Bordetella bacteria. The provider could also ask for blood testing to verify whether the bacteria is present.

What is the whooping cough treatment?

Treatment for whooping cough should start as soon as the illness is diagnosed. Antibiotics are prescribed by a healthcare professional to assist stop the disease from spreading. Antibiotics, however, cannot cure or prevent your cough. Since cough syrups and other medications cannot stop your coughing fits, you will need to manage your symptoms at home using different methods.

It is recommended that you begin treating whooping cough within three weeks of close contact with an infected person. Antibiotics are also likely to be recommended by a provider.

Your baby might require hospital care for pertussis if they get it. Complications from whooping cough, like pneumonia or respiratory issues, can be life-threatening. A medical professional will do the following to treat the infection and avoid complications:

• Keep the airways open for your infant to breathe. They might need to remove mucus using suction

• Monitor your baby’s breathing. They’ll give them oxygen if required

• Avoid or manage dehydration. To get fluids, your infant could require an IV

Prevention:

The pertussis vaccination is the most effective approach to prevent whooping cough, and it is frequently administered in combination with vaccines against tetanus and diphtheria, two other dangerous illnesses. Vaccination should start in infancy, according to doctors.

Children at these ages are usually administered the five shots that make up the vaccine:

• 2 months

• 4 months

• 6 months

• 15–18 months

• 4–6 years

Side effects of vaccines

The vaccine typically has moderate side effects, including fever, irritability, headache, exhaustion, or injection site discomfort.


Booster shots

Teenagers. Doctors advise a booster dose around age 11 to guard against whooping cough (pertussis), diphtheria, and tetanus because immunity from the pertussis vaccine tends to fade by that time.

Adults. Protection against whooping cough (pertussis) is also included in certain types of tetanus and diphtheria vaccines that are administered every ten years. Additionally, this vaccine will lessen the chance that you may infect infants with whooping cough.

Women who are expecting. It is currently advised by medical professionals that pregnant women get the pertussis vaccine between weeks 27 and 36 of pregnancy. This may also give some protection to the infant throughout the first few months of life.

Preventive medications

Your doctor could suggest medications to prevent infection if you have come into contact with someone who has whooping cough if you:

• Are you a medical professional?

• Are expecting a child?

• Are you under a year old?

Own a medical condition, such as asthma or a compromised immune system, that could increase your risk of serious sickness or consequences.

Someone who has whooping cough and you live together

Be close someone who is highly susceptible to serious illness or complications from a whooping cough infection.

References:

• Merck Manual Professional Edition. Pertussis (Whooping Cough) (https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/infectious-diseases/gram-negative-bacilli/pertussis). Accessed 1/6/2023.

• World Health Organization. Pertussis (https://www.who.int/health-topics/pertussis). Accessed 1/6/2023.

• MedlinePlus. Whooping Cough (https://medlineplus.gov/whoopingcough.html). Accessed 1/6/2023.

• American Academy of Pediatrics. Whooping Cough: What Parents Need to Know (https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/chest-lungs/Pages/Whooping-Cough.aspx). Accessed 1/6/2023.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pertussis (Whooping Cough) (https://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/). Accessed 1/6/2023.

• Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis) vaccine information statements. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/vis/vis-statements/tdap.html. Accessed Aug. 6, 2021.

• Yeh S. Pertussis infection in infants and children: Treatment and prevention. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed Nov. 2, 2017.