Contagious Whooping Cough Infection
Whooping cough is a highly-contagious bacterial infection caused by a type of bacteria known as Bordetella Pertussis, which infects the respiratory tract. It is characterized by long periods of extremely violent and uncontrollable coughing spells. The whooping cough infection spreads as one infected person coughs or sneezes releasing tiny droplets of saliva or music that contain the bacteria into the air. These tiny droplets can be inhaled by another person and lead to whooping cough. Outbreaks often occur within families or in school or day care.
Symptoms
A whooping cough infection is serious because it produces a thick, copious mucus that plugs little airways and compromises breathing. This excess mucus causes the characteristic cough and whoop. The child coughs to dislodge the mucus plug from his little airways. Coughing escalates into a 15 to 30-second bout of increasingly forceful coughs, with each cough pushing the mucus higher so it can be coughed out or swallowed. At the end of the coughing spell, the child is so hungry for air that he quickly takes a catch-up breath, producing a whopping sound. Then the child rests and seems well for an hour or so. The mucus re-accumulates and the whooping cycles starts all over again. These episodes of violent coughs may last for six to twelve weeks.
Other symptoms of a whooping cough infection might include:
- low-grade fever
- runny nose
- vomiting after a severe coughing spell
- short-term loss of consciousness if the coughing spell is severe enough to cause a lack of oxygen to the brain
- diarrhea
- in infants, blue appearance int he face following a severe coughing spell
Diagnosis
Taking a swab inside the nose or in the back of the throat and sending it for culture can confirm a whooping cough infection with Bordetella Pertussis. It is not uncommon for a test to be negative when in fact a child is infected. If the doctor strongly suspects a whooping cough infection, he may not test for it. Other blood tests and/or a chest X-ray may be performed if he believes they are necessary.
Treatment
What the doctor might prescribe.
Whooping cough infection is difficult to treat, which is why we stress prevention through immunization. Because whooping cough is caused by bacteria, antibiotics are usually prescribed. However, antibiotics are more effective when used early in the course of illness. The later antibiotics are started, the less effective they will be. The doctor will usually prescribe an antibiotic even if your child has suffered from a whooping cough infection for several weeks. This is done to possibly shorten the duration of the illness, make your child less contagious, and prevent a secondary infection. If a family member is diagnosed with a whooping cough infection, the doctor may recommend that the entire family be treated with antibiotics.
The whooping cough infection is most dangerous for infants and the elderly, but it is rarely fatal. Infants with a whooping cough infection under 6 months old may need to be hospitalized for close supervision and respiratory support. Over-the-counter cough medications and cough suppressants are generally not very effective in helping the symptoms of a whooping cough infection. These types of medications should not be used for children under 4 years old and without a doctor’s advice.
What you can do at home
In addition to antibiotics, home treatment is aimed at thinning the mucus so your child can more easily cough it up.
- Steam it.
- Water it. Hydrate your child well to thin the mucus
- Clap it. Called chesty physiotherapy, your pediatrician will show you how to clap on your child’s back to help dislodge the mucus plugs.
- Rest it. Be sure your child rests after a coughing fit. He needs to recharge for the next one.
- Don’t always suppress is. Your child’s cough is his best “internal medicine” for dislodging mucus plus, which is why we advice parents to hold cough suppressants during the day. Suppressants can be used at night if your child is unable to sleep because of the cough, but talk to your doctor first. He may recommend an expectorant or cough loosener instead of a cough suppressant.
Dr. Sears, or Dr. Bill as his “little patients” call him, has been advising busy parents on how to raise healthier families for over 40 years. He received his medical training at Harvard Medical School’s Children’s Hospital in Boston and The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, the world’s largest children’s hospital, where he was associate ward chief of the newborn intensive care unit before serving as the chief of pediatrics at Toronto Western Hospital, a teaching hospital of the University of Toronto. He has served as a professor of pediatrics at the University of Toronto, University of South Carolina, University of Southern California School of Medicine, and University of California: Irvine. As a father of 8 children, he coached Little League sports for 20 years, and together with his wife Martha has written more than 40 best-selling books and countless articles on nutrition, parenting, and healthy aging. He serves as a health consultant for magazines, TV, radio and other media, and his AskDrSears.com website is one of the most popular health and parenting sites. Dr. Sears has appeared on over 100 television programs, including 20/20, Good Morning America, Oprah, Today, The View, and Dr. Phil, and was featured on the cover of TIME Magazine in May 2012. He is noted for his science-made-simple-and-fun approach to family health.