Symptoms and Treatments for Whooping Cough
Whooping cough is a condition that can affect people of all ages, including infants. It can be described as an infection in the respiratory tract that is highly contagious. The main cause of a whooping cough is bacteria. When a person who is infected sneezes or coughs, drops that are full of germs enter the air and are subsequently inhaled by people who are nearby. After entering a person’s airways, the bacteria multiply and create toxins, which interfere with the functioning of the respiratory tract. This then leads to the accumulation of thick mucus, which causes uncontrollable coughing. One of the main symptoms of whooping cough is a hacking cough that is followed by the intake of breath, which sounds like a high pitched “whoop”.
Symptoms
Once a person is affected by a whooping cough, it could take anywhere between 3 and 12 days, for the symptoms to become evident. In the beginning, the symptoms of whooping cough may seem more like a common cold, as they are comparatively mild. Some of the most common symptoms are dry cough, a mild fever, watery eyes, sneezing, runny nose and nasal congestion. However, after a while, like a week or two, the mild symptoms of whooping cough may get a lot worse, and may include:
- Coughing up thick phlegm
- Vomiting because of severe coughing
- Fatigue after a bout of coughing
- A high pitched whooping sound while drawing in breath
Many parents mistake the symptoms of whooping cough with symptoms of bronchitis baby infections, as a child that is affected may also suffer from a wheezing cough. Since both the conditions can be quite serious, it is best to consult a pediatrician immediately, upon noticing any of the symptoms.
Some tips for Kids
As a treatment for whooping cough baby infection, infants suffering should be hospitalized, since this condition can be quite serious in babies. Intravenous fluids may be required in treating some babies. In order to prevent the infection from spreading, the baby may need to be isolated.Rib pain treatment is important for all people with chronic coughs
Decades ago, whooping cough used to be the leading cause of severe illness and even death in babies. Fortunately, after the vaccine was introduced, the cases of whopping cough gradually reduced. However, there are still several cases of whooping cough mainly among those infants who are too young to have completed the entire course of vaccinations, as well as those teenagers or grownups, whose immunity has faded.