What's a whooping cough? should i worry if my 2 year old has it? how do i even know that he's got it?

Answer 1

Whooping cough is called pertussis.
It is a 2 phase illness. Initially, you have symptoms of a mild cold, nothing out of the ordinary. Then comes the cough! It feels like black pepper on your throat and makes you cough violently. The coughing 'fits' last for maybe a minute, maybe more. It is difficult to get air back into the lungs after each cough because the tissues become swollen - this is where you hear the trademark 'whooping' sound.
The coughing can be so violent that one can lose control of ones bladder, bowels, or even break a rib!
In children, it is much more dangerous because their trachea is much smaller to begin with, so any swelling can occlude it completely.
The coughing can last for 3 months.
Get your child to a doctor asap because it can be fatal in children.
I had it 4 years ago and passed out a couple of times coughing. It is no joke and I will never forget having it.

Answer 2

Whooping cough (pertussis) used to be a naturally occuring childhood illness like measles, mumps, and diptheria. There have been vaccines for these diseases for many years. If your child has recieved the standard vaccines since birth you shouldn't have to worry about any of these diseases. If not, get the vaccines started now. No child can enter kindergarten without these vaccines. Most preschool and licensed day care facilities also require that all enrolled children have current vaccines.

Answer 3

It's a bacterial infection. It can be prevented with vaccination. Yes, you should worry if your child has not been vaccinated because it can be deadly. You'll know if he has it - The cough has a charactaristic seal bark sound.

"Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious disease that is one of the leading causes of vaccine-preventable deaths. There are 30–50 million cases per year, and about 300,000 deaths per year (World Health Organization data). Most deaths occur in children under one year of age. Ninety percent of all cases occur in developing countries. It is caused by certain species of the bacterium Bordetella—usually B. pertussis, but some cases are caused by B. parapertussis. Other complications of the disease include pneumonia, encephalitis, pulmonary hypertension, and secondary bacterial superinfection."

Answer 4

this is a dangerous childhood condition get the child to a doctor if you suspect your child has it

please read the links included


http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/whooping_cough.html


http://kidshealth.org/kid/health_problems/heart/whooping_cough.html


http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/whoopingcough.html


http://www.whoopingcough.net/


hope these help

Answer 5

Take him to a doctor if he seems sick, your doctor will diagnose.