An adult's immunity to whooping cough lessens over time, so getting vaccinated and protecting yourself against the infection also helps protect your infant or child from getting it. As is the case with all immunization schedules, there are important exceptions and special circumstances.
Your doctor will have the most current information. People who live with or come into close contact with someone who has pertussis should receive antibiotics to prevent the spread of the disease, even if they've already been vaccinated against it.
Young kids who have not received all five doses of the vaccine may need a booster dose if exposed to an infected family member. The incubation period the time between infection and the start of symptoms for whooping cough is usually 7 to 10 days, but can be as long as 21 days.
Pertussis usually causes prolonged symptoms — 1 to 2 weeks of common cold symptoms, followed by up to 3 months of severe coughing. The last stage consists of another few weeks of recovery with gradual clearing of symptoms. In some children, the recovery period can last for months.
Call the doctor if you suspect that your child has whooping cough. To make a diagnosis, the doctor will take a medical history, do a thorough physical exam, and may take nose and throat mucus samples to be checked in a lab. Blood tests and a chest X-ray also might be done. Whooping cough is treated with antibiotics.
Many experts believe that antibiotics are most effective in shortening the length of the infection when they're given in the first stage of the illness, before coughing spells begin. But even if antibiotics are started later, they're still important because they can stop the spread of the pertussis infection to others. Ask your doctor whether preventive antibiotics or vaccine boosters for other family members are needed.
Some kids with whooping cough need to be treated in a hospital. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Minus Related Pages. Treat appropriately for pertussis.
Because pertussis may progress rapidly in young infants, treat suspected and confirmed cases promptly. However, treatment is ineffective if started late in the course of illness.
Quickly report cases of pertussis to the local public health department to assist with preventing additional cases. Early empiric treatment is important for infants. Related Pages. Expert Commentary. Links with this icon indicate that you are leaving the CDC website.
At this point, your symptoms will slowly improve on their own, but your doctor will want to address any other damage done to your body while you were sick. Supportive care, such as plenty of rest and fluids, can ease symptoms. Eating small, frequent meals can help prevent vomiting. It may also be helpful to rid your home of any irritants that could trigger coughing, such as smoke, dust and chemical fumes. Unfortunately, not much can be done for the cough, as over-the-counter cough medicine is ineffective, and its use is strongly discouraged.
In severe cases, hospitalization may be needed to treat complications. Infants are at the greatest risk of developing severe complications with about half of babies under one year needing to be hospitalized.
Childhood immunization reduces the risk of catching pertussis, and universal immunization of all infants can limit exposure by reducing the overall number of cases. Booster shots may be needed throughout life to ensure that your immunity remains intact. They are recommended for all adults years, and for older adults who will be in contact with babies less than 12 months old. It may look like the common cold but the cough begins to get worse. Stage two can last months: Cough becomes more severe.
There are coughing fits that can be followed by a high- pitched whoop. The whoop means the person is trying to catch their breath. Sometimes a person will turn blue and vomit mucus or food. They also may have brief periods when they stop breathing. Stage three may last weeks to months: Recovery phase is when a person slowly gets better. Coughing fits can come back if the person gets another respiratory illness.
What are the complications of whooping cough? How long is a person with whooping cough contagious? What is the treatment? If my child or another family member has been exposed to whooping cough, what should I do? What is the best way to prevent whooping cough? The best way to prevent whooping cough is to get vaccinated. We recommend that all children and adults get a pertussis-containing vaccine.
The recommended pertussis vaccine for infants and children is called DTaP. This protects children against 3 diseases: diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough pertussis.
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