Facebook Pixel

Whooping Cough: Symptoms, Causes, Risks, Prevention and Treatments

By EmpowHER
 
Rate This

Whooping cough or pertussis is a violent coughing attack found mostly in infants and young children. Though anyone can get whooping cough, it is less common in older people.

It is a contagious disease passed on by tiny droplets following a sneeze or cough. Whooping cough is serious and can cause permanent disability or death in infants.

Characterized by a whooping sound when the patient tries to breathe, this upper respiratory infection is treatable if detected early.

Because symptoms closely resemble the common cold, whooping cough is difficult to diagnose. Slight fever, runny nose and diarrhea are the only early leads. These symptoms are not much to go on, as it usually takes 10 to 12 days after exposure to the bacteria before severe episodes of coughing and vomiting begin.

Whooping cough is preventable with the pertussis vaccine. Antibiotics are successful if given early and will help keep the disease from spreading.

Add a CommentComments

There are no comments yet. Be the first one and get the conversation started!

Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.
By submitting this form, you agree to EmpowHER's terms of service and privacy policy

Whooping Cough

Get Email Updates

Whooping Cough Guide

HERWriter Guide

Have a question? We're here to help. Ask the Community.

ASK

Health Newsletter

Receive the latest and greatest in women's health and wellness from EmpowHER - for free!