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Minnie Hamilton Health System would like to make the public aware there has been an increase in pertussis diagnoses nationwide. Whooping cough (pertussis) is a highly contagious respiratory tract infection. In advanced stages, it's marked a severe, hacking cough followed by a high-pitched intake of breath that sounds like "whoop." It is known to last for duration of approximately 6 weeks before subsiding.
Once you become infected with whooping cough, it takes three to 12 days for signs and symptoms to appear. They're usually mild at first and resemble those of a common cold: runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing, red, watery eyes, mild fever and a dry cough. After a week or two, signs and symptoms worsen. Severe and prolonged coughing attacks may: bring up thick phlegm, provoke vomiting, result in a red or blue face, cause extreme fatigue, and end with a high-pitched "whoop" sound during the next breath of air.
However, many people - particularly infants, adolescents and adults - don't develop the characteristic whoop. Sometimes, a persistent hacking cough is the only sign that an adolescent or adult has whooping cough.
Call your doctor if prolonged coughing spells cause you or your child to: vomit, turn red or blue or inhale with a whooping sound. Whooping cough is thought to be on the rise for two main reasons. The whooping cough vaccine you receive as a child eventually wears off, leaving most teenagers and adults susceptible to the infection during an outbreak - and there continue to be regular outbreaks. In addition, children aren't fully immune to whooping cough until they've received at least three shots, leaving those 6 months and younger at greatest risk of contracting the infection.
Most people recover from whooping cough with no problems. When complications occur, they tend to be side effects of the strenuous coughing, such as: bruised or cracked ribs, abdominal hernias and broken blood vessels in the skin or the whites of your eyes. In infants - especially those under 6 months of age - complications from whooping cough are more severe and may include: ear infections, pneumonia, slowed or stopped breathing, dehydration, seizures and brain damage. Because infants and toddlers are at greatest risk of complications from whooping cough, they're more likely to need treatment in a hospital. Complications can be life-threatening for infants less than 6 months old.
If you think you or your child has whooping cough, make an appointment with your family doctor or pediatrician. For more information, please call 304-354-9244.
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