Definition:
Whooping cough is medically known as pertussis, which is characterized as a highly contagious infection of the respiratory tract. While whooping cough may initially resemble an ordinary cold, it may eventually turn more serious, especially among infants.
Diagnosis:
Diagnosing whooping cough during the early stages can be hard since the symptoms are similar to other common respiratory problems. Medical tests used to confirm include a throat or node culture and test as well as blood tests. A chest X-ray may also be conducted to have a supplementary basis for diagnosis.
Treatment:
Treatment for whooping cough typically varies, on certain considerations such age as well as the severity of signs and symptoms. Early detection and treatment is important since this condition may develop to other serious complications if lest untreated.
Symptoms and Signs:
Whooping cough share the symptoms of an ordinary cold, such as runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion, red and watery eyes, mild fever, dry cough and general feeling of malaise and lack of appetite. In advanced stages, patients experience severe coughing, that can lead to vomiting as well as fatigue due to exertion during coughing.
Causes:
Whooping cough is identified to be a result of a respiratory infection that affects the windpipe and the tubes that branches off from the windpipe. The bacteria are known as the Bordetella pertussis bacterium, typically transmitted through some droplets passed on from coughing or sneezing into the air by an infected person.
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