Whooping cough
Whooping cough
Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a highly contagious bacterial infection of the lungs and airways.
It causes repeated bouts of coughing that can last for 2 to 3 months or more, and it can make babies and young children in particular very ill.
Whooping cough spreads through the droplets released when someone with the infection coughs or sneezes.
Common Symptoms
Symptom information is not available for this condition yet.
Emergency Warning Signs
Whooping cough: causes, symptoms, treatment and when to seek help
When to get medical advice
Call 999 or go to A&E if you or your child:
- are having serious trouble breathing, such as long spells of breathlessness or choking, shallow breathing, moments where breathing pauses, or skin that looks dusky or blue
- show signs of a serious complication of whooping cough, such as fits (seizures) or pneumonia
Speak to your GP practice or phone 111 if you or your child:
- have symptoms of whooping cough
- have had a cough for more than 3 weeks
- have a cough that is especially severe or is getting worse
⚠️ This symptom list is for educational purposes. Having these symptoms does not mean you have this condition. See a doctor for proper diagnosis.
Medicines Commonly Used
⚠️ These medicines are commonly used for confirmed diagnoses of this condition. This is NOT a recommendation or prescription. Treatment must be determined by your doctor.
No medicines have been linked to this condition yet.
When to See a Doctor
Whooping cough: causes, symptoms, treatment and when to seek help
When to get medical advice
Call 999 or go to A&E if you or your child:
- are having serious trouble breathing, such as long spells of breathlessness or choking, shallow breathing, moments where breathing pauses, or skin that looks dusky or blue
- show signs of a serious complication of whooping cough, such as fits (seizures) or pneumonia
Speak to your GP practice or phone 111 if you or your child:
- have symptoms of whooping cough
- have had a cough for more than 3 weeks
- have a cough that is especially severe or is getting worse
Treatment
Treatment for whooping cough depends on your age and how long you've had the infection.
Babies under 6 months who are very unwell, and anyone with severe symptoms, will usually be admitted to hospital for treatment.
If you're diagnosed within the first 3 weeks of infection, you may be given antibiotics to take at home. These help stop the infection from spreading to others, but they may not make the symptoms any better.
If you or your child have had whooping cough for more than 3 weeks, no specific treatment is normally needed, since you're no longer contagious by then and antibiotics are unlikely to help.
While recovering at home, it helps to rest as much as possible, drink plenty of fluids, gently clean away mucus or vomit from your or your child's mouth, and take paracetamol or ibuprofen to bring down a fever. Avoid giving cough medicines, since they're not suitable for young children and are unlikely to do much good.
Stopping the infection from spreading
If you or your child are on antibiotics for whooping cough, take care not to pass the infection on to others.
What to do:
- Stay away from nursery, school or work until 2 days after starting antibiotics, or, if antibiotics aren't being taken, for 3 weeks from when the coughing bouts began
- Cover your or your child's mouth and nose with a tissue while coughing or sneezing
- Throw away used tissues straight away
- Wash your and your child's hands often with soap and water
Other people in your household may also be offered antibiotics and a dose of the whooping cough vaccine, to help stop them from catching it too.
Prevention
Three routine vaccines can protect babies and children from whooping cough:
- Whooping cough vaccine in pregnancy: this can protect your baby during the first few weeks of life. It's best given soon after the 16th week of pregnancy.
- 6-in-1 vaccine: given to babies at 8, 12 and 16 weeks of age.
- 4-in-1 pre-school booster: given to children by 3 years and 4 months.
These vaccines don't give lifelong protection from whooping cough, but they do help stop young children from catching it while they're most vulnerable to its effects. Older children and adults aren't routinely vaccinated, except during pregnancy or when there's a whooping cough outbreak.
Complications
Whooping cough hits hardest in babies and young children under 6 months old. In this age group, it can lead to:
- Dehydration
- Trouble breathing
- Weight loss
- Pneumonia (a lung infection)
- Seizures (fits)
- Kidney problems
- Brain damage, from the brain not getting enough oxygen
- Death, though this is very rare
Older children and adults usually cope with the illness much better. Their main trouble tends to come from the coughing fits themselves, which can be forceful enough to cause nosebleeds, bruised ribs, or a hernia.