The Best Ways to Keep from Getting Whooping Cough 

What is the disease whooping cough?

Bordetella pertussis causes whooping cough, also known as the "100-day cough" or pertussis. It is a highly contagious respiratory bacterial infection. It's known for its prolonged and intense cough fits. When the person takes in, they often hear a high-pitched "whoop" sound.

How it gets around

When a sick person sneezes or coughs, it spreads through droplets in the air. This disease is highly contagious, particularly when individuals are in close proximity to one another. Before and for weeks after they get sick, a person can spread germs.

Signs and symptoms

• Early stage (one to two weeks): Mild signs like a cold
• A stuffy nose, a low-grade fever, and a mild cough
• Two to six weeks or longer of the paroxysmal phase:
• Strong breathing fits that often end with a "whoop" sound
• Babies throwing up after breathing, being tired, and having blue skin
• Apnea, or stops in breathing, can happen to babies without them coughing much.

How long

• This coughing condition is known as a "100-day cough" because it can persist for weeks or months.
• The diagnosis was made by testing a nasal swab with PCR or culture.

Safety First

• Vaccinations are the best way to stop the disease.
• DTaP for kids and a high dose of DTaP for teens, adults, and pregnant women
• Getting vaccinated during pregnancy saves babies in their first few years.

How to Treat

• Antibiotics like azithromycin and erythromycin work best if they are started early. 
• Help with coughing and breathing problems.
• Babies and people with serious illnesses may need to be hospitalized.

Why it's important

• Babies younger than one year old are most likely to get asthma or seizures or even die.
• Adults and kids may unintentionally give it to weak babies.

How to tell if a child has whooping cough?

Especially since spotting it early in babies can save their lives. Babies with whooping cough (pertussis) often don't have the characteristic "whoop" sound. Instead, they may exhibit symptoms that differ from those in older children or adults. Here is an organized list to help you find it:

1. Early Stage (1–2 weeks) 

• Signs of Whooping Cough in Babies—Often thought to be a cold
• A mild cough
• A stuffy nose
• Fever with low levels
• Sometimes sneezing

Stage 2 (two to six weeks or more): 

• Warning signs start to show up
• Fits of coughing that get worse over time
• When you cough or after you cough, you gasp or choke.
• Lack of air can cause the skin or lips to be bluish
• Apnea (breathing stops)—most often in babies younger than 3 months
• throwing up after coughing
• being tired or having trouble eating because of coughing

Note: Babies might not be able to make the sound "whoop." During episodes, they may look like they are having trouble breathing or turn pale or blue.

How and When to Get Medical Help 

• The baby stops breathing or turns blue immediately.
• has trouble eating or looks very tired
• Coughing fits that don't go away, especially at night
• Any signs of breathing trouble

Prevention Tip: 

• Ensure babies receive their DTaP shots on time.
• Pregnant women should receive a Tdap vaccination to protect their unborn children.

What makes people get whooping cough?

The bacteria that cause whooping cough, also known as pertussis, are Bordetella pertussis. How it works:

Cause and Effect

• Bacteria: Bordetella pertussis is a small, gram-negative bacterium that primarily affects humans.
• Attachment: It sticks to the cilia, which are hair-like structures that line the upper respiratory system.
• The bacteria release toxins that damage the cilia.
• Makes the lungs swell and become inflamed
• Stop the defense system from working
• This causes severe coughing fits and makes it difficult to get mucus out of the lungs.

The Importance of Vaccinations

• DTaP and Tdap vaccines are the most effective ways to prevent pneumonia and its spread. They work by targeting Bordetella pertussis.

How can you keep from getting whooping cough?

Pertussis, or whooping cough, can be avoided by getting vaccinated, finding cases early, and protecting the community, especially babies and people who are more likely to get sick. For caregivers, doctors, and public health instructors, here is a structured breakdown.

Top Ways to Keep from Getting Whooping Cough

1. Getting a shot: 

• The most important DTaP vaccine: For kids younger than 7
• Number of weeks: 2, 4, 6, 15–18 months, and 4–6 years
• Booster for TDAP:
• Teenagers: 10–12 years old
• Every 10 years for adults
• As a pregnant woman, during every pregnancy (ideally between 27 and 36 weeks) to keep babies safe

2. Strategy for cocooning

• Immunize people who are close to children, like parents, siblings, grandparents, and caregivers, so that they can form a "cocoon" around the baby to protect it.

3. Immunization of mothers

When Tdap is given to a pregnant woman, protective antibodies are sent to the baby. Until they get their own vaccinations, the baby is protected by these antibodies.

4. Herd immunity, or community immunity

• When many people are vaccinated, it reduces the general spread of the disease and protects those who cannot be vaccinated, such as babies younger than 2 months.

5. Early identification and isolation

• The spread is stopped by early detection and antibiotic treatment.
• People who are infected should stay away from babies and people who haven't been protected.

6. Safety Tips for Healthcare Workers

• Regular Tdap boosters are recommended for field workers. Hospitals and clinics should adhere to infection control rules.

How to treat whooping cough

The video explains the treatment for whooping cough in infants

Early treatment is key to successfully treating whooping cough (pertussis), especially in babies and people who are at a high risk of getting it. This is an organized summary that is meant to help doctors understand and teach patients about the medical treatment of whooping cough. Medicines that kill germs

Treatment should begin within the first one to two weeks of symptom onset, before the cough worsens significantly.

• Antibiotics that are suggested:
• Azithromycin is best for babies.
• Erythromycin
• Ciprofloxacin
• Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (another choice for babies older than 2 months)
• Due to a small risk of pyloric stenosis, macrolides like azithromycin should not be given to babies younger than one month. However, in serious cases, the benefits outweigh the risks.

Care that Supports

• Babies often need to stay in the hospital:
• IV fluids and oxygen treatment if feeding is hard
• Keep an eye out for sleepiness or cyanosis
• For older kids and adults, you can treat them at home with
• Take it easy in a cool, quiet place.
• To keep from throwing up, eat small meals often.
• Getting hydrated: soups, water, and electrolyte solutions
• Stay away from allergens like smoke, dust, and strong smells.

What Doesn't Work:

• Don't take OTC cough meds unless your doctor says to; they don't work and can be harmful.

Prophylaxis after exposure

• People who are close to infected people, like babies, pregnant women, and people with weak immune systems, may be given medicines to stop them from getting sick.

Also read https://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/pertussis-whooping-cough.

What are the three stages of whooping cough?

There are three different forms of whooping cough (pertussis), and each one has its own symptoms and risks. Recognizing these stages is important for getting a diagnosis and treatment right away, especially for babies and people who haven't been vaccinated.

The Three Stages of Whooping Cough

1. The catarrhal stage (one to two weeks)

• Noted signs: A stuffy nose, a slight cough, a low-grade fever, and sneezing
• The highest level of contagiousness during this phase
• Problem: It's often confused with a cold.
• Children: They might have apnea (pauses in breathing) instead of a cough.

2. Paroxysmal Stage (Lasts 2 to 6 weeks or more)

• Noted signs:
• Fits of coughing that are very bad
• the sound of a high-pitched "whoop" when breathing in, especially in kids
• throwing up after coughing
• Cyanosis (bluish skin), and being tired
• Up to 15 breathing fits can occur each day, with most of them happening at night.
• Infants may not make a "whoop" sound but may suffocate, gasp, or turn blue.

3. Stage of getting better (lasts weeks to months)

• Noted signs:
• Getting less coughing over time
• When you have other lung infections, coughing fits may occur again.
• Tiredness may last
• During this time, the infection is no longer contagious.

Conclusion

You should take your child to the doctor immediately if they stop breathing, cough a lot, or throw up after coughing. Early treatment can prevent complications and minimize potential damage.