Pertussis: learn the basics

Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a common disease that is highly contagious among people of all ages. Pertussis is transferred from person to person through mucous membranes that are sprayed into the air during coughing fits. Adults and teenagers are most vulnerable to catching the whooping cough, which is often characterized in younger patients by a high-pitched whooping while coughing. People of all ages, even infants, are susceptible to the whooping cough.

Roughly a century ago, pertussis was a leading cause of death among children in the United States, partially because of the aggressiveness of this respiratory tract infection. Vaccines were developed which curbed the death rate from whooping cough, but the number of infected adolescents and adults has been increasing in recent years, primarily among children who are too young to safely receive the vaccination. Still, the whooping cough is not regarded to be nearly as dangerous as it was in the early years of the 20th century.

What causes pertussis?

Pertussis was named after the bacterium bordetella pertussis. This bacterium infects the lungs of hosts, eventually causing hosts to launch into severe coughing fits. Once a person is infected with pertussis, he or she sprays microscopic droplets of the bacteria into the air during coughing fits. These infectious droplets can come into contact with other people, causing them to become ill as well. That's why the whooping cough is regarded as such as serious condition. Meanwhile, the presence of pertussis causes the patient to experience an accumulation of mucus in the airways, compounding the severity of coughing fits unless treatment is administered.

Treatment for pertussis

Pertussis is a respiratory tract infection caused by harmful bacteria. Specific antibiotics have been designed to effectively target and destroy the bordetella pertussis bacterium. To offset the highly contagious nature of this condition, family members of patients are often given antibiotics in smaller doses to help their bodies reject becoming ill with the condition. Infants and very young children are often hospitalized for precautionary reasons when infected with whooping cough. Anyone who has whooping cough should stay indoors and away from others until their health conditions have improved.

Complications of pertussis

Whooping cough isn't always serious if treated early on. However, people who have pertussis are vulnerable to various other health conditions if they don't receive treatment for their problem. Common complications of whooping cough among adults include bruised or broken ribs, broken blood vessels in the skin or hernias in the abdomen from coughing so hard. Whooping cough is much harder on infants than on adults, and extremely young patients can develop pneumonia, ear infections, seizures and even brain damage if their conditions are not properly treated.

If you or someone you know has whooping cough, schedule an appointment with your doctor immediately. Most people who are diagnosed with whooping cough overcome their conditions without any serious health complications. However, all people react to pertussis differently, especially infants and young children. Be mindful of the symptoms of pertussis, and don't hesitate to see your doctor if you or someone you know shows the warning signs of the whooping cough.