What is Whooping Cough?
Whooping cough is a respiratory tract infection that can make you cough for several minutes at a time. After you cough, you might make a “whooping” sound when you breathe in. Very young children are more likely to make the “whooping” sound than older children and adults. You also might vomit or stop breathing for a few seconds after coughing. Whooping cough is also called pertussis.
Whooping cough (also called pertussis), is a serious infection that spreads easily from person to person. The infection causes coughing spells that are so severe that it can be hard to breathe, eat or sleep. Whooping cough can even lead to cracked ribs, pneumonia or hospitalization. In the past, whooping cough was kept at bay by infant and childhood immunization. It is now known that protection from childhood whooping cough vaccination wears off by the teen years. Adolescents and adults are at risk for the infection. Experts estimate that up to one million cases of whooping cough occur each year in the United States, across all age groups. Health officials now recommend that adults and adolescents receive a Tdap* booster vaccine to protect against whooping cough. It is especially important for those in contact with infants younger than 12 months of age. * This is instead of the previously recommended Td (tetanus-diphtheria) booster Whooping cough can be: • Spread before symptoms appear
Whooping cough is a bacterial infection of the respiratory system which is characterized by heavy wheezing and racking fits of coughing. It typically attacks children, since adults appear to develop natural immunities to it through minor exposure. Whooping cough is also fully preventable through vaccination, and vaccines are strongly recommended to all parents of young children, as the disease can be fatal. Some people know whooping cough by “pertussis,” the name which medical professionals prefer to use. The infection is caused by colonization with Bordatella pertussis bacteria, which attacks the small hairs known as cilia in the respiratory tract. In a healthy person, the cilia help to flush debris through the respiratory system so that the person can breathe. Someone infected with this bacterium will start to accumulate debris in his or her respiratory tract, and as a result mucus production and coughing will develop. This disease is highly contagious, especially when someone is exp
Whooping cough is a disease that causes very severe coughing that may last for months. You can cough so hard that you hurt a rib. Whooping cough is also called pertussis. Whooping cough is contagious. This means it spreads easily from one person to another. You can prevent whooping cough by getting shots, called vaccines, that protect you from the disease. Whooping cough can lead to other problems, such as pneumonia. These problems can be very serious in adults ages 60 and older and in young children, especially babies who are born early or have not had shots to prevent whooping cough. With good care, most people recover from whooping cough with no problems. Anyone can get whooping cough. Before the vaccine was available, whooping cough was most common in infants and young children. Because most infants now get the vaccine, people ages 11 and up are now more likely to get it. You can get whooping cough more than once, and you may get it years apart. But you will be less likely to get i
