Whooping Cough

Whooping cough is a respiratory tract infection that can make you cough for several minutes at a time. After you cough, you might make a "whooping" sound when you breathe in. Very young children are more likely to make the "whooping" sound than older children and adults. You also might vomit or stop breathing for a few seconds after coughing. Whooping cough is also called pertussis.

A bacteria (germ) causes whooping cough. Whooping cough is highly contagious, which means other people can easily catch it from you.

The bacteria that cause whooping cough are released into the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. You can get whooping cough if you breathe in these bacteria. You can also get it if you touch a surface (such as someone's hand) that is coated with the bacteria.

You should see your doctor if you think you have whooping cough or if you have been around someone who might have it.

Your doctor may ask you what your cough sounds like and what happens after you cough. Your doctor may also want to listen to your cough.

You may need special tests to tell for sure if you have whooping cough. Your doctor will swab the inside of your nose or your throat. The swab is then sent to a laboratory. Your doctor may also want to take a chest x-ray or a blood sample to determine if you have whooping cough.

Your doctor will most likely prescribe antibiotics to make the cough go away faster and to help stop the cough from spreading to other people. Babies younger than one year may need to stay in the hospital to decrease the risk of complications with the illness.

People with whooping cough should stay at home until their doctor tells them they are no longer contagious. You may cough on and off for up to 6 weeks, even with medication.

Vaccination against whooping cough (pertussis) is part of the normal early childhood shots and boosters that children get before grade school. Teens and adults can now get further booster vaccinations to prevent whooping cough. Ask your doctor to bring your vaccinations up to date for diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis. These can be combined in one shot if you need them all. The whooping cough vaccine help the body produce antibodies to the bacteria. These antibodies protect against the disease.