What is whooping cough?
Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is known for bringing on bouts of intense coughing, causing difficulty breathing. These spells typically last for around 2-3 minutes, and continues to linger for about 3 months.
How does it spread?
Whooping cough spreads effortlessly. It transfers from one person to another through coughing and sneezing. On average, every individual with whooping cough transmits the infection to 12 others.
Do I need to worry?
For most adults, it won’t be much more than a nuisance (and of course the sickies!). However, it can bring about severe illness in young children and immunocompromised adults due to the severity of the cough. In some cases, tragically it has also lead to death.
What does it look like for young babies?
For babies under 6 months old, Whooping cough can be quite unpredictable and escalate rapidly. Typically, babies under 6 months don’t exhibit the distinctive whooping sound. Instead, they may:
- Have breathing pauses
- Turn blue during severe coughing fits
- Initially appear to have a common cold, then struggle with coughing and breathing
- Feel drained from frequent coughing
- Encounter feeding difficulties due to coughing
- Experience weight loss due to feeding challenges and vomiting caused by coughing.
What is the best way to prevent it?
Getting vaccinated reduces your chances of contracting whooping cough and can lessen the severity of the illness if you do happen to catch it. If you want to book an immunisation, or are unsure if you’ve received it, contact us today.
To find out more information about whooping cough, visit Healthify.
