Synonyms in a broader sense
Medical: Pertussis
Definition
Whooping cough is an infectious disease of the respiratory tract caused by bacteria. In children, this disease is characterized by coughing attacks, with numerous short, emphatic coughing attacks. These cough attacks often end in vomiting.
Usually whooping cough affects children, but the disease can also break out in adults who have either not been vaccinated or have never had whooping cough. Unfortunately, immunity to these pathogens does not last for life and so it can also affect adults who have had whooping cough. The number of infections with whooping cough among adults is currently on the rise again (status 2017).
General symptoms of pertussis in children
Whooping cough runs in several stages in children. In the first days after infection, only harmless cold symptoms appear, possibly accompanied by fever. The disease is characterized by severe coughing attacks with subsequent difficult, noisy inhalation.
A very deep inhalation of the child is followed by several short, barking and pressed coughing attacks. As a result of the exertion, the face first turns red and can then change to a blue tone. This is due to a lack of oxygen caused by the fact that the child is no longer able to take enough normal, lung filling breaths during these cough attacks. If left untreated, the illness lasts for several weeks.
General symptoms of whooping cough in adults
Adults can also get whooping cough. In adults, the disease is usually milder than in children. The division into stages is usually not so easily recognizable.
Often the disease presents with severe flu symptoms and is therefore overlooked by treating physicians. The flu symptoms usually consist of severe pain in the limbs and severe feeling of illness, fever and severe cough with irritation of the upper respiratory tract with possible sore throat. However, milder courses are also known, which are similar to a cold.
Symptoms after a whooping cough vaccination
After a whooping cough vaccination, vaccination reactions may occur. The vaccination reactions are an expression of a response of the immune system to the administered vaccination. Antibodies are formed by the immune system against components of the bacterial coat of the bacterium Bordatella pertussis contained in the vaccine.
Common vaccination reactions are reddening of the skin at the injection site, muscle pain after vaccination at the injection site, often described as sore muscles, and fever. The symptoms appear in the first 72 hours after vaccination and usually disappear by themselves after a few days. The fever can be treated with calf compresses and plenty of fluids, or medicated with paracetamol or ibuprofen.
In the case of drug therapy, the dosage should be adapted to the weight of the child. If the temperature rises rapidly, febrile convulsions may occur in rare cases. In very rare cases allergic reactions have been described after vaccinations.
These are caused by intolerance of individual ingredients of the vaccination. The reaction usually occurs immediately after vaccination, so that the treating physician or medical staff can react. However, the probability of an allergic reaction is very low.
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