Whooping cough (pertussis): Symptoms and treatment
Whooping cough is also known as pertussis and the 100-day cough. It’s a contagious disease caused by a bacteria.
On this page
- Symptoms of whooping cough
- Complications of whooping cough
- If you become ill
- Diagnosing whooping cough
- Treating whooping cough
Symptoms of whooping cough
The first symptoms of whooping cough may appear as early as 5 to 10 days and up to 21 days after exposure.
Whooping cough generally occurs in 3 phases and can last anywhere from 6 to more than 12 weeks.
The first phase usually lasts 1 to 2 weeks. Like a cold, this phase may include symptoms, such as:
- fever
- runny nose
- red watery eyes
- mild or occasional cough and sneezing
The second phase usually lasts 1 to 6 weeks, but can sometimes last up to 10 weeks. During this period, the cough becomes more severe.
Uncontrollable coughing fits can make it hard to breathe. This can lead to a high-pitched “whooping” when gasping for air after a coughing episode. Vomiting may occur after these coughing fits.
In infants, the symptoms can be different. The infant may:
- feed poorly
- pause when breathing (apnea)
- have a blue skin colour (due to decreased oxygen levels)
- choke after coughing
- not cough at all
- not have the characteristic “whooping” sound
The third phase is a gradual recovery that may take weeks to months. There may be a lingering cough, which can be triggered by airway irritants like cold, smoke or fumes.
For older children, adults and those who have been vaccinated, the symptoms of whooping cough may be less severe.
Hear the sound of whooping cough:
Source: PKIDs (Parents of Kids with Infectious Diseases)
Complications of whooping cough
Complications are more common in infants, and are usually less severe in teens and adults, especially in those who have been vaccinated.
Complications of whooping cough may include:
- secondary infections, such as:
- lung infection
- ear infection
- rib fractures
- partial or full collapse of 1 or both lungs
- seizures
- brain injury
- death
Whooping cough can be fatal, especially for infants.
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If you become ill
If you develop symptoms of whooping cough, isolate at home and away from others and contact a health care provider for advice. Before you go to an in-person appointment, tell the health care provider about your symptoms over the phone and follow their instructions.
You can also help stop the spread of whooping cough by using personal protective measures. This may include wearing a well-fitting respirator or mask if you have to be around others and cleaning your hands regularly.
Respiratory infectious diseases: Reduce your risk with personal protective measures
Diagnosing whooping cough
A health care provider may suspect you have whooping cough based on your:
- symptoms
- vaccination history
- exposure to the bacteria if there’s a known outbreak in your community
A health care provider will likely confirm the diagnosis with a lab test. This can include taking a nose or throat swab.
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If you’re diagnosed with whooping cough
If you’re diagnosed with whooping cough, you should isolate at home and away from others, especially infants and children. You should isolate until 5 days after starting an appropriate antibiotic.
A the health care provider or laboratory will inform your local public health unit or office of your diagnosis. This is because of their reporting requirements.
Your local public health unit or office will get in touch with you for contact tracing if follow-up is needed. This is done to help stop the bacteria from spreading to more people. When contact tracing, the public health unit or office will try to determine:
- how you became infected
- who you’ve been in contact with and the areas that you visited
Your health care provider, or local public health unit or office will also provide you with advice on treatment and isolation. They may recommend measures to help reduce the spread to others while isolating, for example:
- avoiding close contact with others, especially when around people who are at risk for serious complications
- wearing a well-fitting respirator or mask when around others
- cleaning your hands regularly
- covering coughs and sneezes with your elbow or a tissue
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Treating whooping cough
Whooping cough is usually treated with antibiotics to decrease the severity of the illness and reduce spread to others. Early treatment is most effective.
If you become infected, a health care provider will likely:
- prescribe you appropriate antibiotics for your infection
- recommend medication to help manage symptoms like pain, as needed
People are no longer contagious after 5 days of starting the right antibiotic treatment.