A severe hacking cough followed by a high-pitched breath intake that sounds like “whoop” are the hallmarks of whooping cough (pertussis), a respiratory tract infection that is extremely contagious.
SYMPTOMS OF WHOOPING COUGH
The signs and symptoms of whooping cough usually appear seven to ten days after infection, but they can occasionally take longer.
- Runny nose
- Nasal congestion
- Red, watery eyes
- Fever
- Cough
Once the thick mucus inside the airways has accumulated for a week or two, the signs and symptoms get worse. Severe and protracted coughing attacks may:
- Provoke vomiting
- cause a face to turn red or blue
- Cause extreme fatigue
- Finish with a loud “whoop” during the subsequent air intake.
Infants sometimes don’t even cough at all, but instead struggle to breathe or even momentarily stop breathing.
CAUSES OF WHOOPING COUGH
When a person with whooping cough coughs or sneezes, tiny germ-filled droplets are sprayed into the air and breathed into the lungs of anyone who happens to be nearby. Whooping cough is brought on by a type of bacteria called Bordetella pertussis.
RISK FACTORS
When a whooping cough outbreak occurs, most adults and teenagers become susceptible to the infection because the whooping cough vaccine that is given to children eventually wears off.
The risk of serious complications and death is highest in infants younger than 12 months who are not immunized or who have not received all of the recommended vaccinations.
COMPLICATIONS OF WHOOPING COUGH
When complications do arise, they typically stem from the exhausting coughing that characterizes whooping cough, and include:
- Bruised or cracked ribs
- Abdominal hernias
- the whites of your eyes or your skin may have broken blood vessels.
Infants
Whooping cough complications are more severe in infants, especially those under 6 months old, and may include:
- Pneumonia
- Slowed or stopped breathing
- loss of weight or dehydration brought on by difficulty eating
- Seizures
- Brain damage
Infants younger than 6 months of age are most at risk for whooping cough complications, which can be life-threatening, and as a result, they are more likely to require hospital treatment.
PREVENTION FOR WHOOPING COUGH
Doctors advise starting vaccination during infancy as this is the most effective time to protect against whooping cough.
The vaccine is administered to kids at these ages over the course of five injections:
- 2 months
- 4 months
- 6 months
- 15 to 18 months
- 4 to 6 years
Vaccine side effects
A fever, irritability, headache, fatigue, or soreness at the injection site are a few of the mild side effects of the vaccine that may occur.
Booster shots
- Doctors advise adolescents to receive a booster shot for whooping cough (pertussis), diphtheria, and tetanus at age 11 because immunity from the pertussis vaccine tends to wane by that time.
- The tetanus and diphtheria vaccine, which should be administered every 10 years to adults, comes in some varieties that also provide protection against whooping cough (pertussis).
- Pregnant women-In order to protect the unborn child during the first few months of life, health professionals now advise pregnant women to get the pertussis vaccine between 27 and 36 weeks of pregnancy.
HOMEOPATHIC TREATMENT FOR WHOOPING COUGH
DROSESA ROTUNDIFOLIA
When the patient can hardly breathe, cokes are advised. Useful for a deep, hoarse cough that gets worse at night, whooping cough is characterized by a dry, irritating, and spasmodic cough with rapid paroxysms.
CORALUM RUBRUM
Used most often when the patient experiences coldness on inspiration and has a dry, spasmodic, suffocating cough with great sensitivity of the airways.
MEPHITIS
Effective for whooping cough when the patient exhibits dyspnea and is completely unable to exhale, as well as violent, suffocating, spasmodic, and nervous cough that is made worse by talking.
SPONGIA TOSTA
When the larynx is painful, dry, constricted, and gets worse when touched, swinging, or swallowing, it is advised to use this remedy for hemoptysis. It is also helpful when the throat needs to be cleared frequently.
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