Whooping Cough (Pertussis)

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KEY POINTS

• Whooping cough, also called pertussis, is a very contagious lung infection.
• Your healthcare provider will prescribe antibiotic medicine for you and for those people with whom you have close household contact.
• A tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis booster called a Tdap shot is given at age 11 or 12. Adolescents and adults need a booster, even if they were completely vaccinated as children. A Tdap booster should be given every 10 years, especially if the family is expecting a baby.

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What is whooping cough?

Whooping cough is a lung infection. It is called whooping cough because of the whooping sound of your breathing after a coughing spell. It is also called pertussis.

Adults can usually recover from whooping cough, but it is a very dangerous disease for babies. Complications of whooping cough can include pneumonia, seizures, and death.

What is the cause?

Whooping cough is caused by bacteria called Bordetella pertussis. You can get infected by breathing in the bacteria from someone who is sneezing or coughing. When teens or adults have whooping cough, it’s usually a mild cold-like illness, so they don’t know they are carrying the bacteria and are able to pass it on to babies and children.

What are the symptoms?

The first symptoms are usually a runny nose, mild cough, and pink eyes. The cough may last for a few weeks. The younger you are, the more severe the infection is likely to be. The cough can get worse and worse. It may cause vomiting. Coughing spells are usually worse at night.

How is it diagnosed?

Your healthcare provider will ask about your symptoms and medical history and examine you. Your provider may use a swab to get a sample of mucus from your nose to send to the lab for testing. You may need a chest X-ray or a blood test also.

How is it treated?

Your healthcare provider will prescribe antibiotic medicine. If you start taking an antibiotic early in the infection, it may prevent severe symptoms and help keep you from spreading the infection to others. However, you may still have a cough for up to 6 weeks.

You will need to stay home, away from work, school, or public places until you have finished your antibiotic medicine or until your healthcare provider says it’s ok.

Everyone in close household contact with you will be asked to take an antibiotic to keep them from getting sick or passing the bacteria to others.

How can I take care of myself?

• If you smoke, stop. If someone else in your household smokes, ask them to quit or to smoke outside. Avoid exposure to secondhand smoke.
• Get plenty of rest.
• If the air in your bedroom is dry, a cool-mist humidifier with distilled water can moisten the air and help make breathing easier. Be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions for cleaning the humidifier often so that bacteria and mold cannot grow. You can also try running hot water in the shower or bathtub to steam up the bathroom. Sit in the steamy bathroom for 10 to 15 minutes if you are coughing hard or having trouble breathing.
• Unless your healthcare provider has told you differently, drink plenty of liquids to help loosen mucus and make it easier to cough it up. It can also help to drink warm liquids such as soup or hot apple juice.
• Cough syrup is usually not helpful and is not recommended.
• Stay away from things that trigger coughing, such as smoke, perfumes, or pollutants.
• Follow your healthcare provider's instructions. Ask your provider:
  • How and when you will get your test results
  • How long it will take for you to recover
  • If there are activities you should avoid and when you can return to normal activities
  • How to take care of yourself at home
  • What symptoms or problems you should watch for and what to do if you have them
• Make sure you know when you should come back for a checkup. Keep all appointments for provider visits or tests.

How can I help prevent whooping cough?

The pertussis vaccine protects against whooping cough and is included in children’s DTaP shots, starting at 2 months of age. Babies should get 3 DTaP shots during their first year of life, followed by booster shots as they get older.

A tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis booster called a Tdap shot should be given at age 11 or 12. Adults or teens who did not get a booster shot at this age should get a Tdap shot one time, especially if the family is expecting a baby and then every 7 to 10 years ongoing. Anyone in close contact with babies should be up-to-date with their whooping cough vaccination.

Pregnant women should receive a dose of Tdap during each pregnancy, preferably at 27 through 36 weeks. This helps protect the newborn against whooping cough for the first 2 months of life.