What is whooping cough?
Whooping cough is a
disease that causes very severe coughing that may last for months. You can
cough so hard that you hurt a rib.
Whooping cough is also called
Whooping cough is contagious. This means it spreads
easily from one person to another. You can prevent whooping cough by getting
shots, called vaccines, that protect you from the disease.
Whooping cough can lead to other problems, such as
pneumonia. These problems can be very serious in
adults ages 60 and older and in young children, especially babies who are born
early or have not had shots to prevent whooping cough.
care, most people recover from whooping cough with no problems.
A person of any age can get whooping cough. You can get whooping cough more than one time, and you may get it years
apart. But you will be less likely to get it again if you get the shots as
What causes whooping cough?
Whooping cough is
caused by bacteria that infect the top of the throat (pharynx) where it meets
the nasal passages. The bacteria bother the throat, which causes
See a picture of the
respiratory system , including the pharynx.
Whooping cough spreads easily from person to person. When someone with
the disease coughs, sneezes, or laughs, tiny drops of fluid holding the
bacteria are put into the air. The bacteria can infect others when they breathe
in the drops or get them on their hands and touch their mouth or nose. After
the bacteria infect someone, symptoms appear about 7 to 14 days later.
What are the symptoms?
Adults usually have milder
symptoms than children. How bad your symptoms are also depends on whether you
had the vaccine and how long ago it was.
Symptoms of whooping
cough usually last 6 to 10 weeks, but they may last longer. In young children,
three stages can occur. Older children and adults don't always have the same
In stage 1, symptoms are like those
of a cold:
- You sneeze and have a runny nose, a mild
cough, watery eyes, and sometimes a mild fever.
- The symptoms last
from several days to 2 weeks.
- This is when you are most likely to
spread the disease.
In stage 2, the cold symptoms get
better, but the cough gets worse.
- The cough goes from a mild, dry, hacking
cough to a severe cough that you can't control.
- You may cough so
long and hard that you can't breathe. When you can take a breath of air, it may
make a whooping noise.
- After a coughing fit, you may vomit and
feel very tired.
- Between coughing fits, you feel normal.
- Symptoms are most severe in this stage. They usually last 2 to 4
weeks or longer.