Whooping Cough: What It Is and How to Prevent It ?

Answer 1

Whooping cough is the unofficial name for a disease known to doctors as "pertussis." The reason it is called whooping cough is because it causes the patient to cough uncontrollably. In some cases when the patient attempts to draw a breath after his coughing spell, a "whooping" sound is heard. Pertussis is caused by an airborne bacteria that is easily spread between people. Families can easily spread whooping cough between the members. People can also contract whooping cough by close contact with an infected person in day cares, schools, and dormitories.

At first, it can seem that a child infected with whooping cough has nothing more than a simple cold. It begins with a runny nose, slight fever, and possibly some diarrhea. But within ten to twelve days, the illness develops into a nasty cough. These coughing spells are so severe that they may lead to vomiting, choking, or loss of consciousness. The coughing fits can last for up to six weeks.

Adults and older children usually manage to recover from whooping cough over time, but for the elderly, those with poor immune systems, and babies, whooping cough can be quite dangerous. Among babies less than a year old, over half who contract pertussis must be hospitalized. One in five infants with whooping cough end up with pneumonia, and one child in one hundred will have convulsions due to this illness. In 2010, over twenty-seven thousand people were diagnosed with whooping cough in the United States, but it frequently goes undiagnosed. Twenty-seven people died from this illness, with twenty-five of those deaths being babies less than a year of age.

This disease is easily prevented by a simple vaccine in infancy. In the United States the preferred vaccine is the DTaP. This vaccine protects against three different diseases: diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus. Children need five shots of this vaccine over the course of their childhood for full protection against this disease. Protection from whooping cough can fade over time, so it is important for adolescents and adults to periodically get "booster" shots.

Whooping cough does not need to affect your family. Get everyone vaccinated against this easily preventable disease. Not only will you be protecting your own family, you will be helping everyone around you remain healthier as well.