Sept. 21, 2020, 5:51 p.m.
Whooping cough is a contagious respiratory tract infection commonly identified by a hacking cough, and the high-pitched breathing sounds sound like a "whoop". Once considered a childhood disease, whooping cough has now moved past kids and can even be found in teenagers and adults with lower immunity.
Once you are infected with whooping cough, it will take about ten days for the symptoms to appear. Though it might take longer than usual in some cases, you can rest assured that the signs and symptoms will appear. Mild at first the symptoms resemble a common cold, where you deal with the following:
With time, these symptoms will worsen where you will start to feel a thick mucus accumulating inside your airway. Those who cannot feel it will be able to tell by uncontrollable coughing. Along with:
Some patients do not develop all the symptoms, and the only sign adults and teens showcase is a persistent hacking cough. Whereas little ones might not cough at all, but they will struggle to breathe or even stop breathing for a few seconds.
It's best to call or see your doctor as soon as you feel you have developed whooping cough. Or when you come face to face with prolonged coughing spells that cause you or your child to:
They are commonly caused by a bacteria called Bordetella pertussis. It spreads through the infected patient's sneeze and cough; as the tiny droplets fill the air around them. Naturally, when someone around them breathes it in, the droplets automatically make their way into their system.
With the help of a whooping cough vaccine, one can eventually fight it off. However, it might leave you with fatigue and short downtime. However, kids under the age of 1 year who have not yet received all their vaccines are higher at risk for complications related to whooping cough, which might even lead to death.
Adults and teenagers can quickly recover from whooping cough, but kids under the age of one face the actual complications. Especially infants under the age of 6 months suffer intensive impacts of whooping cough, including:
With their immunity low and their vaccination date farther out, infants find it hard to keep fighting off whooping cough independently. Furthermore, it is harder for parents to offer them the intensive care they need while staying calm and collected. It's best to take your infant to the hospital as soon as possible, getting them admitted so they can receive the best care possible.
Preventing whooping cough is easy, and requires you to follow the vaccines doctors suggest for little ones. Furthermore, it's best to keep your infants indoors and away from crowded places. You never know when a viral disease may catch up, and cause you and your little one great distress.
Yours in self-care,
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