Whooping Cough

Whooping Cough is no fun. Whooping cough or Pertussis ,is a serious bacterial infection .Whopping cough is more often seen in children, especially infants and children under 4 are the major sufferers of this ailment.
In some cases this infection has known to even attack young children as well as adults.
Pertussis is the medical word for Whooping cough ,this is a very serious illness especially if the victims are small children.

A highly contagious bacterial infection ,in this ailment the bacteria infects the lung and the throat of the victim.Whooping cough is spread easily by air, the bacteria passes fro one victim to the other by coughing and sneezing.

Whooping cough is far less known in today's times than a decade ago ,then due to lack of education as well as awareness thousands of children have lost their lives to this black cough.

Many health agencies as well as the Government have taken initiative, to create awareness among people about this ailment and taken necessary measurements to eliminate whooping cough.

Nowadays not only people from the urban city but also people from rural areas have understood
the necessity of immunization and very religiously get their children well immunized.

The chances of getting infected by whooping cough are minimized with the help of vaccination, though in some cases even after vaccination some young children as well have adults known to catch this bacterial infection. The vaccination of whooping cough provides only 80% protection from the infection.

The symptoms to recognize for whooping cough are as follows-
*Running nose as well as sneezing
* cough without mucus ,dry cough
* occasional fever around 101 degrees

All the above will go on for 1 to 2 weeks its best to show the doctor at this stage before it worsens whooping cough lasts for a long time sometimes as long as 12 to 13 weeks.
The condition of the victim will be worse during the second stage this stage lasts the longest
*Frequent coughing with whooping sound ,severe cough
* small children and infants are known to have frequent fits of cough
*Severe coughing can lead to the face turning red and even blue in the worst case scenario
*Sever coughing fits can at times lead to vomiting.
Whooping cough takes a long time to fully cure, sometimes it may take as long as 2 to 3 months for full recovery . The coughing may become less frequent but it takes time for the severity to go.

Prevention is better than cure

It is advisable to immunize the child as soon as he or she is 2months old .
Keep you child away from people who have whooping cough ,if your child is exposed to someone with the cough immediately inform your doctor and put your child on preventive antibiotics even if your child is immunized .As vaccination against whooping cough is only 80% effective.

If your child is victimized by whooping cough it is advisable to take special effort in taking care of your kids needs, keep the child as tranquil as possible .Keep your child well hydrated with lots of water and juices. Coughing can lead to loss of appetite ,but frequent smaller meals are advised to avoid vomiting as well as keeping the child well nourished to fight the infection.

When the child gets cough fits lie the child on your lap on their stomach head turned sideways ,this will prevent inhaling of mucus.
Cough suppressants should be avoided ,a pain reliever can be given only with doctors advice.
Whooping cough is a sever childhood ailment ,it can be avoided by a little care and awareness on your part.