Can whooping cough be cured?

Written by Li Jian Wu
Pulmonology
Updated on September 21, 2024
00:00
00:00

Pertussis, the disease, can be cured with timely and proper treatment, so there's no need to fear. It's important to clear any concerns and understand this correctly. Pertussis is primarily an acute infectious respiratory disease caused by Bordetella pertussis or Corynebacterium diphtheriae. The main clinical approach is to prevent the disease by administering the DTP vaccine. Once infected, the disease is characterized by typical paroxysmal bouts of coughing, including spasmodic coughing, sometimes accompanied by a crowing inspiratory stridor, and in some cases, symptoms resembling a barking cough. It is called pertussis because the course of the disease is long, but there should be no excessive fear as it can be completely cured with prompt treatment.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Tong Peng
Pediatrics
1min 5sec home-news-image

The difference between pertussis and allergic cough

Pertussis (whooping cough) and allergic cough are different. Firstly, pertussis is an acute respiratory infectious disease caused by Bordetella pertussis. Its symptoms include paroxysmal and frequent coughing, sometimes accompanied by a deep, crowing, inspiratory whoop sound. If not treated promptly, the condition can last for several months, which is why it is called whooping cough. Due to its high contagiosity and epidemic history, if infants contract pertussis, their condition can worsen, making them prone to complications like severe pneumonia or heart failure. However, allergic cough is a non-infectious condition primarily caused by hypersensitivity of the airways, easily triggered by various external allergens, leading to irritating dry coughs, but not worsening to lower respiratory tract infections. In daily life, by avoiding environmental allergens and using treatments such as nebulization and oral antiallergic medications, management is possible.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Wu Ben Rong
Pediatrics
43sec home-news-image

Can you still get infected with whooping cough after recovery?

If whooping cough has been cured, generally, it won’t infect a person again. However, clinically, a small number of patients might get infected again due to weak immunity, though such cases are relatively rare. Whooping cough is caused by an infection with Bordetella pertussis and is an acute respiratory infectious disease. The source of infection in whooping cough is the patient themselves, and the disease can spread through airborne droplets. Most people who contract this disease will develop corresponding antibodies, so generally, they will not get infected again after recovery. However, some patients with weak constitutions and low immunity might not develop sufficient antibodies after the initial infection, which can potentially lead to a reinfection.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Jian Wu
Pulmonology
38sec home-news-image

Can whooping cough heal by itself?

Whooping cough is a respiratory infectious disease. If the infection is mild and the patient's immune system is normal, they can recover without medication. However, the specific clinical individual differences vary, and decisions should be based on the child's constitution, the quantity of the pathogen, and specific symptoms. If symptoms such as paroxysmal spasmodic coughing or a bark-like cough, which are typical of respiratory infections, appear, it generally will not heal on its own and requires anti-inflammatory medications to eliminate the pathogens and symptomatic treatment.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zeng Hai Jiang
Pediatrics
43sec home-news-image

Why is whooping cough milder during the day and worse at night?

Whooping cough is an acute respiratory infectious disease caused by Bordetella pertussis infection, commonly seen in children. The main symptoms are paroxysmal spasmodic coughing, a crowing inspiratory noise, with coughing occurring both during the day and at night, more significantly at night. The main reasons are as follows: first, the dry indoor air causes irritation. Second, during the night, the mucus secreted by the bronchial mucosa cannot be expelled from the body, which stimulates the bronchial nerves and triggers worsening cough symptoms. Coughing can also cause redness of the face and ears, runny nose, nausea, and vomiting.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Jian Wu
Pulmonology
33sec home-news-image

Whooping cough is transmitted through respiratory droplets.

Pertussis is mainly transmitted through airborne droplets and is a commonly seen respiratory infectious disease in clinical settings. If a child is at school and classmates have pertussis without antibodies in their body, it is quite possible for the infection to occur, commonly seen in babies under five years old. If there are episodes of spasmodic, convulsive coughing accompanied by a barking sound or a crowing sound during inhalation, this disease should be highly suspected, and prompt culturing of the pathogen is needed for confirmation.