Whooping Cough: Symptoms, Risks & Prevention 

Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is an extremely contagious infection of the respiratory tract. The condition is characterized by a severe hacking cough along with a high-pitched breath intake sounding like “whoop”. Before the development of the vaccine, whooping cough was a common childhood disease. However, now it primarily affects children who have not yet received vaccination for it or adults and teenagers with faded immunity from the vaccine.

Though whooping cough is not considered a fatal disease, it usually occurs in infants. Therefore, it is essential for pregnant women and people in close contact with infants to get themselves vaccinated against whooping cough.

Symptoms of whooping cough

If you are infected with whooping cough, it would usually take around 7-10 days for the whooping cough symptoms to appear, sometimes even longer. In most cases, symptoms are mild in the beginning and appear similar to the common cold.

Early whooping cough symptoms include:

· Nasal congestion

· Runny nose

· Fever

· Cough

· Red and watery eyes

After a couple of weeks, the symptoms get much worse. Thick mucus accumulates in the airways and leads to uncontrollable coughing. Prolonged bouts of severe coughing can lead to:

· Vomiting

· Extreme fatigue

· Blue or red face

· A high-pitched ‘whoop’ sound when you breathe next after coughing

However, keep in mind that not everyone develops the ‘whoop’ sound while breathing. In many cases, persistent coughing is the only sign of whooping cough, especially in adults and adolescents.

Reasons to visit a doctor

It is important to consult a doctor if you or your child has been experiencing prolonger coughing spells that are leading to:

· Vomiting

· Inhaling with a high-pictured whooping sound

· Turning blue or red

· Struggling to breathe and experiencing noticeable pauses between breaths

Risk factors of Whooping Cough

We all receive vaccines for whooping cough during our childhood. However, the efficacy of this vaccine eventually wears off. As a result, most teenagers as well as adults are left susceptible to infection in case of an outbreak. Besides this, infants below 12 months of age who have not been vaccinated or have not received the full dose of recommended vaccinations are at the greatest risk of suffering from complications and even death from whooping cough.

Complications related to Whooping Cough

Adults and teenagers are usually able to recover from pertussis without any problems. However, in case of complications, there may be a ton of side effects due to persistent and strenuous coughing. These include:

· Abdominal hernias

· Cracked or bruised ribs

· Broken blood vessels in the whites or skin of the eyes

In the case of infants, particularly below the age of 6 months, complications related to whooping cough tend to be more severe and include:

· Pneumonia

· Seizures

· Slow or stopped breathing

· Brain damage

· Dehydration or weight loss

Since toddlers and infants are at the highest risk of suffering from whooping cough complications, they are more likely to require hospitalization. In younger infants, the complications can even be life-threatening.

Prevention of Whooping Cough

The only and most effective way to prevent whooping cough is to take the pertussis vaccine. This vaccine is given in combination with vaccines for two other serious diseases – tetanus and diphtheria. Doctors around the world recommend vaccines to infants to keep them away from serious diseases. The pertussis vaccine is given with a series of 5 injections, given at different ages including 2 months, and 4 months, followed by vaccines at 6 months, 18 months, and finally 4-6 years of age.

Side Effects of Vaccines

The most common side effect of the vaccine is mild fever, headache, crankiness, soreness at the injection site, and fatigue.

Booster shots

Your doctor may recommend booster shots for pertussis medications in the following cases:

• Adolescents

Since the immunity due to the vaccine wanes off around age 11, your doctor may recommend taking a booster shot around this age to keep your child protected against tetanus, diphtheria, as well as whooping cough.

• Adults

In adults, doctors advise taking vaccines for tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis every 10 years. This vaccine also reduces the risk of you spread whooping cough to infants around you.

Pregnant women: Many doctors recommend pregnant women take pertussis vaccines between weeks 27 and 36 of gestation to keep the infant protected during the first few months of their lives.

Preventive medications

If you have been in contact with someone suffering from whooping cough, your doctor may recommend you take a course of antibiotics to keep you protected. Preventative medications may also be recommended in case you are:

· Pregnant

· A healthcare provider

· Below 12 months of age

· Having a health condition that puts you at a higher risk of complications, like asthma or a weak immune system

· Living with someone with pertussis

· Living with someone at a higher risk of whooping cough infection.

Reference Links

Mayo Clinic Staff. Feb. 11, 2022. Whooping cough

Centre for Disease Control and Prevention team.August 8, 2022. Pertussis (Whooping Cough)