Whooping cough, whooping cough symptoms. Treatment of whooping cough.

Whopping cough is an acute infectious disease. The infecting agent is bacterium called bortedella (Bordetella pertussis).

The source of infection is a sick person throughout the entire period of illness, and its first weeks in particular. The infection spreads through droplet inhalation. Whooping cough is one of the most contagious diseases.

Progress of the disease. The bacteria invade the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract, where inflammation starts with increase of mucus formation. The purulent mucous plugs obstruct the clearing of the small bronchi hampering the function of the respiratory tract. Convalescence and vaccination do not entail a life-long immunity to the disease. Recurrences of the disease in adults are possible. Treatment of whooping cough.

Whooping cough symptoms. The incubation period lasts from 2 to 14 days. The disease onset is associated with malaise, poor appetite, running nose, slightly elevated temperature and weak cough which persists for 1-2 weeks, afterwards its frequency and intensity start growing. At the end of coughing fits an excruciating difficulty to inhale is often observed especially in small children, discharge of viscid glass-like sputum occurs, sometimes vomiting is evident. During a coughing fit the child is excited, his face becomes cyanotic, the neck veins are swollen, the tongue protrudes, haemoptysis and nose bleeding are possible or apnoea in severe cases. The cough (with the frequency of fits ranging from 5 to 50 time a day) persists for 2-4 weeks. Afterwards the frequency and intensity of cough drops, though, the cough may last another 2-3 weeks.

In adults and older children whooping cough progresses with a lesser severity and is accompanied by pronounced manifestations of persistent bronchitis.

Complications of whooping cough. Pneumonia.

Whooping cough treatment.