Fact Checked
Overview Of Whooping Cough
- The illness is extremely contagious and quite severe in babies below the age of 12 months.
- It’s very uncommon for kids who have been inoculated against whooping cough to get the illness – and if they do, it’s generally not as severe.
- The condition generally begins with a persistent dry and exasperating cough that develops into intense attacks of coughing. These are followed by a distinct ‘whooping’ sound, which is how the illness gets its name.
- Other symptoms consist of a runny nose, high temperature and nausea after coughing.
The gestation period for whooping cough is approximately between 6-21 days - The gestation period for whooping cough is approximately between 6-21 days with its contagious period lasting from the initial signs of the infection until about six weeks after coughing begins.
Symptoms of Whooping Cough
Whooping cough tends to progress in phases, with minor symptoms occurring first, charted by a period of more serious symptoms.
Initial Symptoms
The initial symptoms of whooping cough are often comparable to those of a common cold and might consist of:
- Congested nose;
- Sneezing;
- Runny eyes;
- Parched, exasperating cough;
- Painful throat;
- Marginally high temperature; and
- Feeling ill.
Infants and Kids
- Babies younger than 6 months might not make the ‘whoop’ sound after coughing, but they might begin gagging or become breathless, and might briefly stop breathing.
- Though very unusual, it’s likely for whooping cough to cause abrupt death in babies.
- Young kid’s might also seem to choke or turn blue in the face when they have an attack of coughing. Breathing will rapidly start again.
Treating Infants and Young Kids
- Babies are affected severely by whooping cough.
- For this purpose, babies below 12 months who get whooping cough will often require treatment at a clinic or hospital.
- Your child might need to be prescribed antibiotics.