Whooping Cough Research Paper

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Pages: 3

What is Whooping Cough?
Pertussis, commonly known as Whooping cough is a bacterial infection that gets into your nose and throat. It spreads very easily, but vaccines like DTaP and Tdap can help prevent it in children and adults.

Whooping Cough: What Happens
If a person with whooping cough sneezes, laughs, or coughs, small droplets that contain the bacteria may fly through the air. You might get sick when you breathe the droplets.
When the bacteria get into your airways, they attach to the tiny hairs in the linings of the lungs. The bacteria cause swelling and inflammation, which lead to a dry, long-lasting cough and other cold-like symptoms.
Whooping cough can cause anyone at any age to get sick. It may last 3 to 6 weeks. You can get sick
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As the cough is dry and doesn't produce mucus, these spells can last up to 1 minute. And can sometimes cause your face to turn red or purple.
Coughing spells are common, but not everyone has them. Infants may not make the whooping sound or even cough, but they might gasp for air or try to catch their breath during these spells. Some may vomit.
Sometimes adults with the condition just have a cough that won’t go away.

Children and Whooping Cough
Whooping cough is dangerous for babies, especially ones younger than 6 months old. In severe cases, they may need to go to an ER. If you think your child might have it, see your doctor right away.
Children under the age of 18 months with whooping cough should be watched at all times, because the coughing spells can make them stop breathing.
It is advisable to protect your child by making sure he and any adult who's around him often gets vaccinated. For older children and adults, the outcome is usually very good.

Treatment
If diagnosed early on, antibiotics can help cut down coughing and other symptoms. They can also help prevent the infection from spreading to