Live Life Team
Pertussis also known as whooping cough is a condition where the lining of respiratory tract is infected. Pertussis is a highly infectious is caused by the bacterium Bordetella Pertussis.This can spread by the droplets in the air from sneezing and coughing. The main symptom of this condition is a hacking cough accompanied by a sharp intake of breath. Infants and young children are generally affected by whooping cough. But adults may also develop this condition. It is very severe in case of young infants and the condition can become fatal but happens in rare cases.
Symptoms of whooping cough
The symptoms of whooping cough generally take 7 to 10 days to appear. Whooping cough develops in stages with mild symptoms occurring first followed by more severe symptoms.
Some of the early symptoms of whooping cough are as follows
>A runny or blocked nose
>watering eyes
>a sore throat
>sneezing
>a dry irritating cough
>a slightly raised temperature
>feeling generally unwell
The early symptoms of whooping cough last for 1 to 2 weeks and are followed by more severe symptoms. The second stage of whooping cough is called the paroxysmal stage. This stage is characterised by intense bouts of coughing.
Paroxysmal symptoms of whooping cough
>intense hacking bouts of coughing which bring up thick phlegm
>Vomiting in infants and young children.
>A whoop sound with each sharp intake of breath after coughing
>Fatigue and redness in the face from the effort of coughing
The paroxysmal symptoms of whooping cough generally last for 2 to 3 months.
Causes
A bacterium called Bordetella Pertussis causes whooping cough. This bacterium infects the lining of the respiratory tract mainly the trachea and the bronchi. When the bacterium comes in contact with the lining of the respiratory tract it starts multiplying and builds up thick mucus on it. The body tries to expel this mucus resulting in intense bouts of coughing. The bacterium also causes the swelling up of the airways. This makes the airways narrow causing difficulty in breathing. The whoop sound produced after the gasp of breath is also due to the narrowing of the airways. The early stage of whooping cough is highly infectious. It spreads by the infected droplets that are given out while coughing and sneezing of a person suffering from whooping cough.
A person suffering from whooping cough or a child infected with this condition should stay at home until
-the completion of antibiotic course prescribed by GP
-the child or person has had intense bouts of coughing (paroxysms) for three weeks.
Treatment
Treating babies and young children (under five years of age)
Babies are at a higher rate of developing complications and so they must be treated in hospital if affected by whooping cough. A type of medicine called a corticosteroid as well as antibiotics might be given if the child has difficulty in breathing due to the inflammation in the airways.
Treating adults and older children (five years of age and over)
Generally whooping cough can be treated at home because it is less serious in older children and adults. A course of antibiotics may be prescribed by GP in order to prevent the infection from spreading further.
