Diagnose Whooping Cough
Whooping cough, otherwise known as pertussis, is an infection of the respiratory system that's caused by the bacteria Bordetella pertussis. Pertussis mainly affects infants under 1-year old, unimmunized children and elderly patients. However, anyone who has not been immunized is susceptible to pertussis. Complications include pneumonia, ear infection, dehydration and seizures if left untreated.
Instructions
1. Watch for a common cold symptoms. A runny nose, sneezing and a low grade fever are how whooping cough first presents its symptoms.
2. Pay attention to any cough that persists after a week. After the first week of symptoms, coughing spells start with pertussis. These coughing spells last more than 1 minute. This makes it very hard for the person to catch their breath.
3. Listen for a loud whoop or bark. With whooping cough, the person's inability to breathe during coughing spells leads to a whoop noise at the end of a coughing spell.
4. Note a change in color. If the person is not getting enough air, their face may turn red or purple. This, along with vomiting, is reason to hurry to the emergency room for immediate treatment.
5. See a doctor. If any of the above symptoms are present, a trip to the doctor is necessary. She can test the mucous from the nose and throat for pertussis to confirm, as well as prescribe medication necessary to treat it.
6. Head to the emergency room. Whooping cough is a very serious condition, especially for infants and elderly patients. It can be dangerous if left untreated.
Tags: coughing spells, Diagnose Whooping, Diagnose Whooping Cough, elderly patients, emergency room, left untreated