Little Girl Gets Cold And Blows Her Nose At Home.

Whooping Cough: More Than Just a Cold

Whooping cough is miserable.

It starts with common cold symptoms. No big deal, right? Wrong.

Suddenly you are not only sneezing and blowing your nose; you are coughing uncontrollably. And after each coughing jag, your next breath of air creates a high-pitched whooping sound. You may vomit and feel exhausted.

Infants with whooping cough may not be able to catch their breath. They may briefly stop breathing (apnea) and turn blue.

Yes, whopping cough is definitely miserable. Not to mention that it can last for weeks, which is why whooping cough, also known as pertussis, sometimes is called the “100-day cough.”

Sadly, the number of pertussis cases is extremely high this year, so we want you to have the facts about how to prevent and treat it. It’s important to know that you are most contagious before you realize you have it. Pertussis spreads through air droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. You can help prevent the spread of pertussis and other illnesses by covering coughs and sneezes, thoroughly cleaning your hands, wearing a mask, and staying home when you’re sick.

Vaccination is the essential key to prevention. Anyone can get pertussis, but it is particularly tough on infants, pregnant women, and people who are immunocompromised.

We recommend that pregnant women receive the TdaP (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) vaccine during pregnancy to prevent illness in mom and her newborn. We give children a different vaccine at 2, 4, 6, and 15-18 months. Children should get booster shots between the ages of 4 and 6, and again well before they enter seventh grade to keep their immunity intact.

Adults should get a booster every 10 years.

If you suspect that you or a family member has whooping cough, see your primary care provider or go to same-day care for testing. If one member of a household tests positive, all will be treated.

Early treatment (before the whooping begins), can prevent severe cough, apnea, and pneumonia. Although treatment once the severe coughing has started may not do much to relieve symptoms, it is necessary to help prevent further spread.

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