Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, can recover on its own if the viral load is low and symptoms are mild. However, if symptoms are more typical and accompanied by fever, difficulty breathing, and paroxysmal convulsive coughing, it generally cannot recover without medical help and requires a combination of sensitive antibiotics and symptomatic treatment. Common choices include macrolide antibiotics, such as erythromycin, clarithromycin, and azithromycin. If there are symptoms of respiratory difficulty, oxygen inhalation can be used to alleviate the signs of mucosal hypoxia.