Whooping cough, otherwise known as Pertussis, is a bacterial infection originating in the 16th century that affects the respiratory system and is highly contagious. It is named after its most common symptoms, a hacking cough and a high-pitched squeal when a breath is taken which sounds like a “whoop”. Though the whoop is not always present in whooping cough, the hacking cough is always present.
Whooping cough most commonly affects infants who have not yet been fully vaccinated and teenagers or adults whose vaccination has faded. The vaccination for this illness is three shots, so an infant who has not completed all of the shots in the set is still susceptible. Teenagers and adults can obtain a booster shot to avoid contracting this illness.
This illness is airborne and can be obtained from another person with the bacteria who sneezes or coughs around you. The bacteria become airborne by the force of the cough or sneeze. Inadvertently, you might breathe in the bacteria without any knowledge. However, seven to ten days later you will begin to see signs of the illness. Most likely, you will think that you have a common cold as the initial symptoms are mild and mimic the common cold. Unfortunately, after a week or two the symptoms worsen into those resembling whooping cough.
1. Chronic Cough
A chronic cough is a cough that can last up to eight weeks in adults and up to four weeks in children. The coughs are forceful and typically cause you to lose sleep or become exhausted. In severe cases, this cough can cause vomiting, lightheadedness, coughing up blood, and rib fractures from the force of the cough. However, the most common symptoms of a chronic cough are runny nose, postnasal drip, hoarseness, frequent clearing of the throat, wheezing, shortness of breath, heartburn, or a bad taste in your mouth. Chronic cough usually has an underlying issue such as smoking, second hand smoke, or even whooping cough. However, once the underlying issue has been addressed, a chronic cough will typically disappear.
2. Severe Cough
A severe cough is a cough that is forceful and can cause other issues. Severe coughing can cause vomiting, lightheadedness, coughing up blood, rib fractures, exhaustion, abdominal hernias, and broken blood vessels in the skin or eyes. A severe cough causes a lot of pressure on areas of the body that are not used to the force on a daily basis. Prolonged coughing can cause pressure on blood vessels, ribs, and other areas which cause these additional issues.
3. Congestion
Congestion can occur in the nasal passage, the sinus cavity, or the chest. Congestion is the accumulation of excess liquid or mucus in the nasal passage, sinuses, or lungs. This can occur during a common cold, pneumonia, or even whooping cough. It can cause issues with breathing. It can also cause pain or pressure in the chest, nose, or sinuses. Additionally, it can cause coughing if located in the chest. Congestion can also cause wheezing or difficulty swallowing. While your body is congested, it will attempt to rid itself of the excess mucus by allowing you to cough up phlegm.
4. Runny Nose
A runny nose, otherwise known as rhinorrhea or rhinitis, is a common reaction to allergies, infections, inflammation, or irritation. A runny nose is a result of the mucus membranes inside your nose secreting a discharge. This is your nose’s way of getting rid of the original irritation, infection, or object. The discharge from the nose may be thin and runny or it can be thick and colorful. This discharge can run out of your nose, down the back of your throat, or it can do both. A thick discharge can cause nasal, sinus, and chest congestion.
5. Sneezing
Sneezing, or sternutation, is your body’s way to expel irritants from your nasal passage. The irritants enter your nose and irritate the mucus membranes triggering a natural response to expel air from the nose, usually without much warning. It is most commonly caused by allergies, viruses, irritants, drug withdrawal, or the inhalation of corticosteroids found in nasal sprays. However, sneezing can also be triggered by nose trauma, inhaling irritants, or breathing in cold air. Sneezing can be prevented by reducing your exposure to allergens, irritants or viruses. Medications can also be taken to reduce the instances of sneezing if you have allergies or a virus.
6. Fatigue
Fatigue is the lack of physical or mental energy or motivation. It mimics the signs of drowsiness, but can be accompanied with shortness of breath and muscle weakness. There are many causes of fatigue ranging from medication issues, sleep issues, vitamin deficiencies, and other medical conditions. Fatigue can also be associated with weight loss, chest pain, shortness of breath, throwing up, diarrhea, fever, chills, muscle pain or weakness, anxiety, and depression. Treating fatigue depends upon the reason that you have the symptom. Once the underlying cause is corrected, such as whooping cough, you will start to feel more energy.
7. Fever
Fever, also known as hyperthermia, pyrexia, or elevated temperature, is basically when your body has a higher internal temperature than normal. It can affect adults and children and is often a symptom of another medical condition and can be accompanied by physical pain. While most occurrences can be cured without medical attention, fevers associated with heat stroke, medication reactions, illegal drug usage, or stroke should be consulted with a physician. These issues are most commonly associated with hyperthermia which is the body’s inability to control your body temperature. Additionally, an extremely high fever, especially in children, should be consulted with a physician. In children, it is often accompanied by lethargy, agitation, poor appetite, sore throat, cough, ear pain, throwing up, and diarrhea.
8. Watery Eyes
Watery eyes, or epiphora, is when your eyes produce ongoing tears or excessive amounts of tears. Watery eyes can be caused by an irritation, inflammation, allergies, common cold, and many other things. Watery eyes can also be a result of medications such as epinephrine or chemotherapy medications. Infant’s watery eyes are typically caused by a blockage in the tear duct or a tear duct that has not yet been fully formed.
9. Vomiting
Vomiting, also known as emesis or throwing up, is a forceful explosion of the contents of your stomach through your mouth and sometimes your nose. It is a symptom that can be a result of many causes such as food poisoning, motion sickness, infections such as whooping cough, overeating, intense pain, emotional stress, medications, ulcers, concussions, and many other medical conditions. Typically, it is a symptom of a medical condition and is not a serious issue. However, one concern with vomiting is its ability to cause dehydration. A person who is experiencing emesis, especially infants and children, should drink liquids with electrolytes to combat the effects of dehydration.
10. Paroxysmal Cough
A paroxysm is a violent attack, so it would stand to reason that a paroxysmal cough is a violent coughing attack which is often caused by whooping cough, lung disease, or bronchiectasis. Typically, this forceful cough is a caused by dry, non-productive cough that does not help eliminate mucus from the body. This causes an irritation in the mucus membrane in the upper respiratory tract which causes a paroxysmal cough. These coughs are typically frequent, painful, and can be exhausting.
They can produce spasms in the respiratory tract that result in emesis and broken blood vessels. If the blood vessels are broken, it could cause a production of blood in your phlegm which will cause the phlegm to have a rusty or brown color. Paroxysmal cough is a symptom of an underlying medical condition. Once the condition can be identified and treated, the paroxysmal cough will be treated as well.
