What Is Whooping Cough?

Whooping cough is a serious bacterial infection. The bacteria will line the breathing passages of the person affected with whooping cough. Whooping causes the person to have long periods of coughing spasms which leave the person with labored inhalation and breathless which causes a high-pitched whooping sounds, giving whooping cough it’s name. A vaccine for whooping cough came out in 1976 and the cases of whooping cough declined but in 2004 it started to make a come back. There have been over 25,000 cases or more since then.

Signs And Symptoms Of Whooping Cough

Whooping cough is extremely contagious and can be passed on just by breathing in recycled air or coughs or sneezes of an infected person. You will start to see symptoms with in 3-12 days of being exposed to the infection. Early symptoms of whooping couch are often misses as they are mild and resemble the common cold. These symptoms last around two weeks. The early symptoms are sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, red watery eyes, loss of appetite and a dry cough. The symptoms that follow are much more severe and resemble bronchitis in adults. These symptoms are frequent coughing attacks that result in a large amount of thick phlegm and end with a loud whooping sound when you take in a breath. These coughing attacks can be severe enough to cause the ill person to have bulging eyes, discoloration in the face or even cause vomiting. The later symptoms of whooping cough also cause fatigue due to the severity of the coughing attacks.

Even with a vaccination early in childhood adults are still susceptible to being infected with whooping cough since the vaccination wears off after childhood. Also infants under 6months of age are also susceptible because the vaccination is not full complete until you have had three doses. Children under the age of two are at the highest risk of developing severe or even life-threatening symptoms and complications caused by whooping cough. Adults and teens usually develop much milder cases of whooping cough. These severe complications in children 2 years old and younger can include dehydration, ear infections, slow or stopped breathing, pneumonia, hernia or an injury to the chest wall (a result of hard coughing) or even seizures or brain damage.

Doctors suggest getting the vaccination for young children, adults and teens should also receive booster shots just in case. If you suspect you have been exposed to whooping cough you should get lots of rest, it will help to fight off the illness. Drink a lot of fluids such as juices, water and soup broth. You should also try to keep the air you breathe cleaner by not smoking or even investing in an air purifier. It is also suggested that you keep the air you breath moist. You can do this by using a vaporizer, running a hot shower or even boiling water. All these things will add moisture to the air and make it easier to breathe.

Home Remedies For Whooping Cough

Home Remedies for whooping cough can be very effective treatment. Many home remedies for whooping cough involve the use of garlic. One that is very effective is to extract the garlic juice form the garlic itself. Give the garlic juice to the person affected in doses of 1 teaspoon 2-3 times daily. Another one of the great home remedies for whooping cough is to take 1 teaspoon of Fenugreek seeds, 1 cup of water, 1 teaspoon of fresh ginger and a dash of honey. Boil all these ingredients together and drink. Almond oil is also included in many whooping cough cure. By taking 5-6 drops of almond oil and 10 drops of both ginger juice and onion oil you will make a mixture that can be given to the ill person up to 3 times daily. Fresh radish juice, honey and rock salt can also be combined to make a mixture that can also be given to the ill person 2-3 times daily.

As with any other cold you should steer clear of foods that cause phlegm. Some foods that cause phlegm include but not limited to milk or milk based products, rice, sugary products such as soda, and refined flour products. Good foods to eat while you’re ill are raspberries, blueberries, tomatoes, and other fresh fruit. Vegetables are also a good thing to eat such as broccoli, spinach or cabbage. You can boil your vegetables but avoid adding any condiments too them. Affected people are also encouraged to eat small meals since the whooping cough can be severe enough to cause vomiting.

For adults there is no known whooping cough treatment but there are several prescriptions and natural remedy for whooping cough that your doctor can provide for you to make your illness easier to bear. Children under the age of 2 should be seen by a medical physician since in most cases they will be hospitalize due to the fact that children under 2 can be severally affected by whooping cough.