Whooping cough

Symptoms of whooping cough

The first symptomsof whooping cough aresimilar to those of a Cold , such asa runny nose,red and watery eyes,a sore throat , anda slightly raised temperature.

Intensecoughing bouts start about a week later.

The boutsusually last a few minutes at a time and tend to be more common at night.
Coughing usually brings up thickmucus and may be followed by vomiting.
Between coughs, you or your child may gasp for breath thismay cause a "whoop" sound,although not everyone has this.
The strain of coughing cancause thefaceto become very red, and there may be some slight bleeding under the skin or inthe eyes.
Young children can sometimes briefly turn blue (cyanosis) if they have trouble breathingthis often looks worse than it is and their breathing shouldstart againquickly.
In very young babies, the cough may not be particularly noticeable, but there may be brief periods where they stop breathing.

The bouts will eventually start to become less severe and less frequent over time,but it may be afewmonths before they stop completely.

Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018

Articles for whooping cough

Introduction

Find out about the symptoms of whooping cough, who's at risk of the condition, when to get medical advice, and how it's treated.

Symptoms of whooping cough

The first symptomsof whooping cough aresimilar to those of a Cold , such asa runny nose,red and watery eyes,a sore throat , anda slightly raised temperature. Intensecoughing bouts start about a week

Who's at risk of whooping cough

Whooping cough can affect people of any age, including: babies and young children young babies under six months of age are at a particularly increased risk of complications of whooping cough old

When to get medical advice

See your GP orcall NHS 111 if you or your child: have symptoms ofwhooping cough havehad a cough for more than three weeks have a cough that is particularly severe or is getting worse Call 999 or

Treatment for whooping cough

Treatment for whooping cough depends on your ageand how long you've had the infection. Children under six months who are very ill and people with severe symptoms will usually be admitted to hospital

Stopping the infection spreading

If you or your child are taking antibiotics for whooping cough, you need to be careful not to spread the infection to others. Stay away from nursery, schoolor work until48 hours from the start of an

Vaccinations for whooping cough

There are three routine vaccinations that can protect babies and children from whooping cough: the whooping cough vaccine in pregnancy this can protect your baby during the first few weeks of l

Complications of whooping cough

Babies and young children under six months are usually most severely affected by whooping cough. They're at anincreased risk of: dehydration breathing difficulties weight loss pneumonia an i

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