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Whooping cough is a respiratory infection that can be particularly dangerous for infants. Why the highly contagious disease is often not recognized – or only recognized late.
Whooping cough is currently spreading rapidly and recently reached its highest level in ten years. Experts are therefore sounding the alarm and are talking about a value “well outside the normal fluctuations”. Although most people do not become seriously ill from the pathogen Bordetella pertussis (a bacterium), the disease is still underestimated. Also because it can initially be mistaken for a common cold. That’s what it does for Parents severe, first signs at Kind to be recognized early. This is particularly problematic for infants. Whooping cough can be dangerous for them.
First whooping cough symptoms: The disease progresses in three phases
According to the, whooping cough occurs in unvaccinated people Professional Association of Pediatricians and Adolescents (BVKJ) in three stages. In the first stage (lasting one to two weeks) cold-like symptoms occur, such as:
- Sniffles
- slight cough
- occasional hoarseness
- reddened conjunctiva
- no or only moderate fever
The problem: The symptoms can be confused with those of a harmless cold. Those affected are particularly contagious in this phase and the pathogen can easily be transmitted from person to person via droplet infection through coughing, sneezing or speaking. Above all Children do not show typical symptoms in the first stage of the disease, but are highly contagious.
Whooping cough may initially be confused with a cold because the symptoms are similar. (Symbolic image) © YAY Images/Imago
It is only in the second phase (lasting four to six weeks) that the characteristic whooping cough occurs. Convulsive coughing fits and even shortness of breath occur again and again. They often last for minutes and end with a wheezing noise when inhaling, caused by a spasm of the larynx. Another characteristic sign is the tongue sticking out when coughing. The attacks are usually more frequent at night than during the day, but can also occur during physical exertion or psychological stress. It is not uncommon for tough mucus to be regurgitated.
Only in the third phase (lasting six to ten weeks) do the coughing attacks gradually decrease. However, external stimuli such as cold air, cigarette smoke or even exertion can trigger a dry cough for months.
Dangerous complications can occur in infants
At babies As a rule, there are no typical whooping cough symptoms. In them, pauses in breathing (apneas) can indicate whooping cough, which requires immediate hospital treatment. The skin can turn blue.
Even if only about ten percent of children experience a severe case of whooping cough, parents should go to a pediatrician if they suspect it. The rule here is: with older children if they cough for more than a week, with infants when they first have cold symptoms. They can lead to dangerous complications such as lung and middle ear infections, but also inflammation of the brain (whooping cough encephalopathy). Also one Allergies and asthma can occur as a late consequence of whooping cough.
To protect against severe disease, the Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO) recommends basic immunization for infants aged two, four and eleven months. In order to enable newborns to have “nest protection” before they are two months old, STIKO also recommends refreshing the Whooping cough vaccination during pregnancy.
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This is how whooping cough can be diagnosed
To diagnose whooping cough, the doctor will take a nasopharyngeal swab to detect the whooping cough bacteria. An increase in white blood cells can also indicate a whooping cough infection. In order to mitigate the course of the disease, whooping cough should be treated early with antibiotics.
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