Whooping cough in children: signs, complications, alternative treatment. Whooping cough

Whooping cough is an infectious disease that is transmitted by airborne droplets. You can only become infected through a sick person - if saliva gets on the mucous membrane of the mouth or nose of a healthy person during a cough. The whooping cough bacillus does not survive in an open space, so it is impossible to become infected through common household items.

Whooping cough is a very serious disease, manifested by severe coughing attacks. Whooping cough is dangerous because during a spasm the lumen of the larynx can close and lead to respiratory arrest. Whooping cough most often affects children under 6 years of age, but there are also cases of whooping cough in adults. Just a few decades ago, whooping cough was a deadly disease, killing a huge number of small children. With the advent of mass vaccination, there are fewer whooping cough patients, and the disease has become much easier to tolerate. The whooping cough vaccine is administered as part of the general DPT vaccination, and it is this vaccine that causes a reaction such as an increase in temperature and a general deterioration in well-being.

The pertussis bacillus, entering the body, begins to actively multiply. The waste products of this stick poison the body with toxins, which cause severe coughing. I would like to note that the cause of cough is the nerve impulses that are sent to the brain. A cough is not caused by inflammatory processes in the bronchi, so often when listening to the chest of a patient with whooping cough, the doctor makes the conclusion “The lungs are clean.”

How long does the illness last?

From the moment a person is infected until the first symptoms appear, it takes from several days to several weeks. On average, the incubation period is one week. Symptoms gradually increase over 5-15 days. After this, a period of convulsive antispasmodic cough begins, which can last a month or more. Then the attacks become rare and less intense. People say that whooping cough is a disease of a hundred days. This suggests that the disease lasts on average three months, although often long-term symptoms in the form of a rare cough can last up to six months. Re-infection does not occur - a child who has recovered from the disease develops lifelong immunity.

Whooping cough symptoms

Very often, whooping cough (especially in the early stages of development) is confused with acute respiratory viral infections, acute respiratory infections, bronchitis and other respiratory diseases. Here are some symptoms characteristic of whooping cough.

Cough. This is the main and main symptom. Often a cough becomes a decisive factor in making a diagnosis. A doctor can tell with certainty from just one cough that it is whooping cough. The cough with this disease is debilitating, long, and paroxysmal. A baby can have up to 50 coughing attacks per day. During an attack, the child coughs incessantly and has no way to breathe. When the child inhales air again, a characteristic whistle is heard, which indicates swelling of the larynx.
During a strong cough, the child may vomit. This occurs due to excessive irritation of the back of the tongue.
In addition, general intoxication of the body occurs. The child becomes lethargic, apathetic, capricious, and loses his appetite.
In the initial stages of whooping cough development, a slight fever may appear, but it rarely rises above 38 degrees.
At the end of a coughing attack, sputum may be discharged - viscous, transparent, glassy.
During a coughing attack, the child's face turns red and sometimes even blue. Veins protrude from the neck, the frenulum may be damaged during coughing, the tongue may stick out during an attack, and the whites of the eyes may turn red from tension.
Coughing attacks during whooping cough are quite long and can last about five minutes.

If a bacterial infection is added to whooping cough, complications such as bronchitis, pneumonia, and laryngitis develop. A strong cough can cause an umbilical or inguinal hernia. But the worst complication is suffocation. Therefore, it is very important to properly treat whooping cough and be able to get rid of a coughing attack.

Whooping cough can be treated both on an outpatient basis and in a hospital - it all depends on the age of the patient and the severity of the disease. If the patient is not even a year old, it is better to remain under the supervision of doctors in order to relieve the condition of false croup at the right time and save the child from suffocation.

Antibacterial therapy is used as a medical treatment for whooping cough. Antibiotics are selected that are most sensitive to the infectious bacillus. As a rule, these are ampicillin, chloramphenicol, aminoglycosides, macrolides. The course of treatment is 5-7 days. It is also very important to introduce special gammaglobulin against whooping cough into the body at the beginning of treatment.

In addition, symptomatic treatment is prescribed. First of all, these are antihistamines. They help relieve swelling of the larynx, which reduces the number and intensity of coughing attacks. In severe cases, the small patient is prescribed antispasmodics to relieve the intensity of the cough at night. Sedatives may also be prescribed to reduce the number of nerve impulses that cause coughing attacks. When a runny nose or nasal congestion occurs, vasoconstrictor drops are used, and antipyretics are used to bring down the temperature.

There is no need to take antitussives and expectorants, or do so under the supervision of a doctor and with great caution. The fact is that such drugs are aimed at removing phlegm, that is, they stimulate a cough, which we are trying to get rid of.

The prognosis for patients with whooping cough is favorable. Today, modern treatment methods are so effective that death occurs extremely rarely and only in old age. It is possible to survive whooping cough, the main thing is to do it correctly.

How to relieve whooping cough in a child

Here are some tips to help you shorten the time your child is sick and reduce the duration and intensity of coughing attacks.

It is a proven fact that attacks practically do not occur in the open air. Therefore, a child with whooping cough should be taken for frequent and long walks (if he is feeling well).
Be sure to ventilate the room as often as possible to ensure your child has access to fresh air.
Wet cleaning of the room should be done daily to eliminate the provoking factor – house dust.
During illness, be sure to install a humidifier in the room. It will significantly reduce the frequency and intensity of attacks.
In the first days of the child, when signs of intoxication of the body are still present, it is necessary to provide the patient with bed rest. Instead of active games, read a fairy tale to your child, look at books.
Nutrition should be balanced and light. The child should eat often, but little by little. Avoid provoking factors - chocolate, spicy, smoked and fried foods.
If whooping cough is severe, you may need an oxygen mask. But usually this is practiced only in stationary conditions.
To treat whooping cough at home, it is very good to use a nebulizer. This is a device that supplies steam in concentrated form. When the steam is inhaled, the swelling of the mucous membrane subsides and the attack is stopped.
It is very important to maintain a calm environment in the house, since any nervous experience, crying, fear or emotional shock can trigger the onset of an attack.
If an infant gets whooping cough, he should be left in a dark and cool room, away from provoking sounds and noise. This will reduce the number of coughing attacks.
In winter, the batteries operate at full capacity, drying out the air in the apartment. This is extremely undesirable for a patient with whooping cough. If possible, you need to reduce the intensity of their work or ventilate the room more often and hang wet towels on the radiator.

These simple rules will help you ease the course of the disease and make whooping cough less debilitating.

If a coughing attack starts at night, try to help your child. You can give him warm water to drink to soothe the mucous membranes. Don't stop taking your antihistamines to keep the swelling from getting worse. In addition, if you have a severe coughing attack, you can give your baby an inhaler to breathe in - it will become much easier for him. If you don't have an inhaler on hand, take your child into the bath, turn on the hot water and close the door. Tilt the baby towards the water so that he inhales the hot, wet steam. This will help you survive a coughing attack.

A salt lamp can be useful against a coughing attack during whooping cough. It is an ordinary lamp, which is covered with a shade made of mineral salt. When heated, salt begins to release special ions that purify the air.

If the child is small, do not take risks - it is better to call an ambulance. A coughing attack during whooping cough can cause false croup and the child will simply suffocate.

Folk remedies against whooping cough

Unfortunately, folk recipes are ineffective against such an insidious and annoying disease. They can only be used in combination with conservative treatment. There are some herbs and herbs that will help reduce spasms, making attacks easier.

The Arnica plant is a herb that helps relieve barking and dry coughs, relieves agitation and spasms. Pour a glass of boiling water over a spoonful of the dry plant and let it brew for a couple of hours. Arnica infusion should be brewed before night (as most attacks occur at night). Keep the Arnica decoction warm so that if an attack occurs, give it to your child to drink. Usually half a glass is enough for the baby to calm down and fall asleep for at least 2-3 hours.

Here is a recipe for another effective collection against suffocating cough. Mix marshmallow flowers, oregano herb, thyme, pine buds, plantain leaves, nettle and coltsfoot in equal proportions. Add three tablespoons of the mixture to a liter of boiling water and leave for at least 6 hours. Drink a tablespoon every 3 hours, especially before bed. The active substances of medicinal herbs soothe the laryngeal mucosa, relieve swelling, and reduce the activity of nerve endings that cause spasms.

Whooping cough is a serious disease. It exhausts the child not only physically, but also mentally. After all, due to constant coughing attacks, the baby cannot sleep normally, gets scared, and cries. In this state, the mother must remain calm, follow the doctor’s instructions and be an unshakable support and protection for the child. After all, if the mother is calm and the baby is comfortable, then everything is going as it should. And the calm state of the baby reduces the number of spasms and attacks. Remember, prevention is the best protection, vaccinate your children on time!

Video: how to treat cough with whooping cough

Whooping cough is a bacterial disease transmitted by airborne droplets from a sick person to a healthy person. During a cough, bacteria fly out of the respiratory tract of an infected person and penetrate through the nasal cavity onto the bronchial mucosa of a person nearby. There they irritate the receptors and cause uncontrollable coughing, which literally turns into vomiting.

Vaccinations against whooping cough begin at 3 months of age along with vaccinations against diphtheria and tetanus - as a rule, the DPT vaccine is used. Of the three components of the vaccine, pertussis is the most difficult to tolerate. And it often happens that weakened children or children who have previously had severe reactions to vaccination are vaccinated with an ADS drug that does not contain a pertussis component.

Timely vaccination can reduce the risk of disease by 80 percent, and if infection does occur, the disease progresses more easily.

Causative agent of whooping cough

Why does whooping cough occur and what is it? This is the name of an infectious, highly contagious disease that affects the respiratory system and nervous system, and is accompanied by characteristic attacks of convulsive cough. The causative agent of whooping cough is Bordet-Gengou (whooping cough bacillus), which is transmitted from sick to healthy people through airborne droplets when coughing.

Pertussis sticks can be of three main subtypes - the aggressive and severe first type of infection, and the more favorable and moderately severe ones - the second and third types of sticks. However, the age and previous state of health of the child also play an important role in the development of whooping cough.

Periods of illness:

incubation period – 2-14 days,
initial or catarrhal period – 2-14 days,
period of convulsive cough – from 1 month or more,
recovery – 1-2 months.

Whooping cough is transmitted by airborne droplets, spreading from its owner 2.5 meters to the sides. The bacillus is not transmitted through care items, and susceptibility to whooping cough ranges from 70 to 100%, depending on the degree of group density and the length of stay in the group. You can get whooping cough at any age from the neonatal period, children are especially often sick during the cold season - from November to March, when they practically do not go for walks and sit at home or in kindergarten. Increases in incidence occur approximately once every three to five years; surviving whooping cough provides lifelong lasting immunity.

Before the age of one year, whooping cough is very severe, with a high mortality rate (death) - 50-60% of cases among unvaccinated children. After vaccination against whooping cough, if the disease develops, it is not as pronounced, without characteristic attacks.

Whooping cough symptoms

The incubation period for whooping cough is 6-20 days (usually 7 days). If whooping cough occurs in a child, the main symptom is attacks of severe spasmodic coughing, repeated over a long period of time (see photo).

However, the first signs of whooping cough in children resemble the usual: malaise, loss of appetite, slight runny nose, rare, fever (most often up to 37-37.5 degrees, in some cases up to 39 degrees).

Day after day, the cough intensifies; on days 12-14 of the disease it becomes spasmodic and paroxysmal in nature. At night, coughing attacks tend to become more frequent, preventing the baby from sleeping peacefully. Depending on the course of the disease, attacks can last 4-5 minutes and repeat up to 20 times a day. After the coughing attack ends, the child may complain of pain in the chest and abdomen. In some cases, the disease is accompanied by vomiting.

The disease occurs in three stages (catarrhal, paroxysmal and convalescent stage). In general, the illness lasts 6-8 weeks.

Catarrhal. The general condition of the child remains without significant changes. Body temperature may rise to subfebrile levels (37.5°C). A dry cough appears, worsening in the evening and at night. The cough gradually becomes obsessive and gradually becomes paroxysmal. There may be a runny nose, decreased appetite, restlessness and irritability. The symptoms resemble those of pharyngitis, laryngitis, and tracheitis. The more severe the disease, the shorter the catarrhal stage. So, in children in the first year of life, the duration of the catarrhal period is 3-5 days, in older children – up to 14 days.
Paroxysmal. There are no signs of acute respiratory infections at all, and the cough becomes obsessive and spasmodic. This occurs in the second or third week of illness. It is at this stage that it is possible to recognize whooping cough in a child by its characteristic cough. An experienced pediatrician will immediately determine by the type of cough whether it is whooping cough or not. And this does not require any diagnostics or laboratory tests. The signs of whooping cough in a vaccinated child at this stage appear much milder. It often happens that whooping cough is tolerated without a diagnosis: you cough and it goes away without any treatment.
Resolution period (2 to 4 weeks). During this period, the body’s immunity mobilizes its strength and, with the help of antibiotics, defeats the aggressor. The cough subsides, attacks become less frequent. The “cock-like” nature of the cough disappears. The composition of sputum changes - it becomes mucopurulent and gradually stops being released. Over time, all the symptoms of the disease gradually disappear and the baby recovers.

Severe whooping cough in children can lead to serious consequences and complications, in particular, hypoxia develops, as a result of which the blood supply to the brain and heart muscle is disrupted. If the treatment method for whooping cough is incorrect, children may have complications in the functioning of the respiratory system, developing pleurisy, emphysema, and pneumonia. Other bacteria can also develop in stagnant lung tissue.

Course of the disease in young children

Whooping cough in young children is very severe and the incubation period is shorter. The short catarrhal stage turns into a long paroxysmal period.

There may not be a classic coughing attack; it is replaced by sneezing, restlessness, screaming, and the child assumes the fetal position. Reprises, if any, are not clearly defined. There may be apnea (stopping breathing) during an attack or between attacks; sleep apnea is especially dangerous. Younger children have a very high risk of developing complications.

What does whooping cough look like - photo

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Blood test for whooping cough

At an early stage, when the symptoms of whooping cough in children are not yet expressed, a whooping cough test helps diagnose the disease. It is carried out using the bacteriological method, when a colony of bacteria is grown from mucus taken from the nasopharynx of a patient and their species is determined, or, if it is necessary to obtain a result in a short time, using the PCR method, which makes it possible to detect the presence of pertussis bacillus directly in the smear.

In addition, serological tests are used to show the presence of antibodies to whooping cough in the blood or mucus of the throat.

Treatment of whooping cough in children

A larger number of sick children are treated at home, but under the supervision of a doctor. However, there are cases when hospitalization in a hospital is a vital necessity. This:

infants up to six months of age;
complicated course of whooping cough;
whooping cough in combination with other diseases;
whooping cough in weakened children;
all severe forms of whooping cough.

First of all, with whooping cough, quarantine is necessary (25 days from the first day of illness). This is necessary so that the disease does not spread further; in addition, the patient should not be exposed to other infections so as not to develop complications. In this regard, protect other children from the sick person and take all measures to prevent the spread of the disease.

Food and drink should be given to the child often, in small portions, and if vomiting occurs, re-feed. Fresh air helps relieve attacks, so the baby needs to organize walks. Treatment should take place in a calm environment, since coughing attacks are provoked by nervous tension and emotional breakdowns.

Treatment of whooping cough in children necessarily includes antibacterial therapy. The duration of the disease and the severity of the baby’s condition depend on the correct choice of drug. Also, to treat the disease, doctors prescribe anticonvulsants, antitussives and expectorants, sedatives, and homeopathic medicines.

If whooping cough is left untreated, it can develop into pneumonia within 2-3 weeks. In addition, if a child has suffered a severe form of whooping cough, then delays in the development of the nervous system may appear (speech delay, absent-minded attention).

How to treat whooping cough in children - says Komarovsky

Whooping cough in children and its symptoms, Komarovsky emphasizes, are difficult to diagnose when the disease is mild.

Attention and observation helps the pediatrician in making a timely and correct diagnosis. To make everything completely clear, watch the video “Whooping cough: symptoms in children.” Don't panic if you notice signs of whooping cough, but stay vigilant.

Prevention of whooping cough - only vaccination

The main measure to prevent whooping cough is vaccination. No matter how much opponents of mandatory vaccination against whooping cough speak out, the fact remains: if a child is not vaccinated, the risk of getting sick is quite high, especially if the baby is in active contact with other children. And this risk is steadily increasing along with the growth of refusals and unfounded medical exemptions from vaccinations.

Today, whooping cough is often diagnosed in late stages, which makes treatment difficult and leads to complications. There is one more administrative factor. If whooping cough is discovered at a pediatrician’s office, this is an emergency that requires filling out a lot of paperwork, “sorting things out” with the sanitary and epidemiological station, etc. Therefore, they try not to advertise the diagnosis of “whooping cough.”

Vaccination performed on a healthy (or almost healthy, without contraindications) child is practically safe. The most common unpleasant effect from it is fever and pain at the injection site, but these effects can also be avoided by using modern purified vaccines (such as Infanrix or Pentaxim).

Whooping cough is one of the most common diseases in childhood.

Infection is transmitted by airborne droplets and is accompanied by certain symptoms.

Lack of timely treatment of the disease can cause the death of the child.

At signs of whooping cough appear You should immediately consult a doctor and undergo a comprehensive examination. The prognosis will directly depend on the usefulness of therapy. We will talk about the symptoms of whooping cough in children in this article.

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Concept and characteristics

Appearance of a child during an attack of whooping cough - photo:

Whooping cough is an infectious disease that affects the respiratory system of a child. In the human body no innate immunity to the causative agent of this disease.

A child of any age can become infected. The danger of the disease lies in minimal symptoms in the early stages of its development. Because of this nuance, in most cases, whooping cough is diagnosed in children in an advanced form.

How does infection occur?

Whooping cough is caused by the bacterium Bordetella or pertussis bacillus. The disease is transmitted exclusively by airborne droplets.

When infected occurs active damage to the trachea and bronchi. The bacterium disrupts the functionality of the ciliated epithelium of the respiratory organs, complicating the natural process of sputum discharge. Their waste products have toxic effects.

Even after full treatment, the child may continue to have a reflex cough for several weeks.

Reasons for development

Despite the fact that whooping cough can affect a child of any age, those at risk include: children under 6-7 years old.

Before the age of two, the likelihood of becoming infected with whooping cough is especially high.

Most often, whooping cough outbreaks occur in winter or autumn. This factor is explained by short daylight hours, and solar light is harmful to bacteria causing infection.

Reasons The following factors can cause whooping cough:

contact with a carrier of pertussis bacillus;
lack of timely vaccination of the child against whooping cough;
low level of protective functions of the body.

Symptoms and clinical picture

The symptoms of whooping cough depend on the form of the disease. When carrying bacteria signs of the disease may be completely absent, but the child poses a danger to others and is a spreader of bacteria.

Consistently, symptoms develop with the typical form of whooping cough, and with its atypical form, the symptoms appear with minimal intensity (children can only cough occasionally).

Symptoms whooping cough are the following factors:

general weakness of the body;
slight increase in body temperature;
cough is accompanied by tachycardia;
runny nose;
dry cough;
coughing attacks at night;
whooping cough;
wheezing cough;
cough may result in vomiting;
During coughing attacks, your complexion may change.

Whooping cough develops in three stages. At the initial stage (catarrhal period), the cough may only bother the baby at night, but the child’s general condition is not affected. The duration of this stage is maximum two weeks.

The spasmodic period is characterized by the appearance of frequent paroxysmal cough. The duration of this period can reach one month.

The resolution stage is accompanied by an increase in the intervals between coughing attacks and may last several months.

Incubation period

The incubation period for whooping cough is a maximum of two weeks.

The disease is contagious, therefore, if a child is diagnosed with whooping cough, he is prohibited from attending kindergarten or school for thirty days.

The risk of infection arises from the first days of bacteria entering the baby’s body. If children come into contact with it, they may instantly become infected with whooping cough.

Complications and consequences

Whooping cough can cause complications dangerous to the child's life. The consequences of the disease may not be related to the respiratory system. For example, due to constant coughing, a child is at risk of developing an umbilical or inguinal hernia.

Damage to blood vessels during attacks can cause severe internal or nosebleeds.

Lack of timely treatment for whooping cough increases the likelihood of complications associated with the hearing organs or the central nervous system.

Complications of the disease The following conditions may occur:

pneumonia;
tracheitis;
laryngitis;
epilepsy;
hearing loss;
emphysema;
encephalopathy;
brain hypoxia;
rupture of the abdominal wall muscles;
death.

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Diagnostics and tests

In some cases, the diagnosis of whooping cough is extremely difficult.

It is quite difficult to distinguish a disease from a cold.

Suspicion of whooping cough should arise if it is not possible to cure a child’s cough for a long time, and all medications the drugs only have a temporary effect.

Diagnosis of whooping cough is carried out using the following methods:

bacteriological culture of a throat smear;
serological diagnostics;
general blood and urine analysis;
blood test for antibodies;
express diagnostics.

Treatment methods

How to treat the disease? Whooping cough is treated at home. To the hospital in most cases Only children under one year old are accommodated.

An indication for urgent hospitalization of a child of any age is the presence of a cough during which breathing stops.

Home treatment for this factor may cause death of the baby. When treating whooping cough, special medications are used, which can be supplemented with some alternative medicine recipes.

Drugs

List of medications necessary for the treatment of whooping cough is prescribed for children individually.

The doctor assesses the general condition of the baby and examines the condition of his respiratory organs.

Based on examination and analysis individual therapy is prescribed, including drugs of different categories. The use of antibiotics for whooping cough involves some special considerations.

Examples drugs used to treat whooping cough:

antitussives (Codeine, Sinekod);
expectorant mucolytics (Bromhexine, Lazolvan);
drugs against bronchospasms (Eufillin);
antihistamines (Zyrtec, Claritin);
antibiotics (Sumamed, Erythromycin);
sedatives (Valerian);
vitamins appropriate for the child's age.

Are antibiotics needed?

Antibiotics are used in the treatment of whooping cough only when the disease is detected in the early stages. In advanced forms of the disease, drugs in this category will be ineffective.

Their use will only harm the child’s health by having a negative effect on the immune system or liver function. Under no circumstances should you use potent medications on your own without a doctor’s prescription.

Antibiotics can be used in the following cases:

early stage of whooping cough;
prevention of whooping cough if a child in the family gets sick (other family members take the antibiotic).

Folk remedies for cough relief

Traditional medicine recipes for whooping cough are used to speed up the treatment process and reducing the intensity of disease symptoms.

When choosing products, it is important to take into account the individual characteristics of the baby.

The child may have food intolerance to some ingredients. It is necessary to give preference to recipes that will cause minimal discomfort to the baby.

Examples of folk remedies for the treatment of whooping cough:

Decoctions of medicinal herbs(chamomile, calendula, St. John's wort, rose hips and linden well increase the body's protective functions and help it cope with infection faster, decoctions for children are prepared in the traditional way, a teaspoon of a dry mixture of any of these herbs should be poured with a glass of boiling water, infused and taken in small quantities throughout the day portions).
Milk(to improve the overall health of the child, you can use milk with the addition of honey, cocoa butter or butter).
Butter with honey(the ingredients should be mixed in equal quantities and given to the child one teaspoon several times a day).
Onions with honey(the onion must be chopped, squeezed out the juice, mixed onion juice and honey in equal quantities, give the product to the child several times a day, one teaspoon).
Steam inhalations(the child should regularly breathe in the steam of boiled potatoes, as well as over a decoction of eucalyptus or calendula).

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Prevention

If it becomes clear that there has been contact with a carrier of whooping cough, then a full medical examination becomes necessary.

Can be used to prevent infection Erythromycin or Gamma globulin.

Prevention of the disease should be carried out from the first days of a child’s life. Vaccination against whooping cough will help significantly reduce the risk of infection.

Preventive measures against whooping cough are the following recommendations:

If an outbreak of the disease is detected in a kindergarten, the child must be examined and medicinal measures taken to prevent whooping cough.
Children with low immunity are recommended to spend as little time as possible in crowded places and limit their contact with children.
The child must create conditions that meet sanitary requirements (regular change of bed linen, wet cleaning and ventilation of the room).
If a child develops a cough that cannot be eliminated with medications for a long time, it is necessary to be tested for whooping cough.

Vaccination schedule

Whooping cough vaccination is planned. To achieve maximum results and create full protection for the child, it is necessary to follow a schedule.

Children who are not vaccinated are at risk of contracting whooping cough.

After a child's vaccination immunity to pertussis bacillus is formed. If infection occurs, it will be mild or asymptomatic.

Schedule vaccinations:

Some children may have difficulty with whooping cough vaccination. The consequences of vaccination may include seizures, fever or other negative symptoms. Such symptoms may persist for up to two days.

Before vaccination, doctors must rule out the presence of contraindications (diseases of the blood, heart, nervous system, etc.). In medical practice, vaccination against whooping cough is the most effective prevention of this disease.

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Doctor Komarovsky about whooping cough in children in this video:

We kindly ask you not to self-medicate. Make an appointment with a doctor!

Whooping cough is an acute infectious disease that can be transmitted through airborne droplets. Its main symptom is a prolonged paroxysmal cough. Even though mass vaccination is provided for this disease, there are still a significant number of cases of diagnosing whooping cough. How is whooping cough treated in children and adults? Let's take a closer look.

How to treat

The symptoms of whooping cough can only be eliminated using complex therapy.

The treatment method in each specific case depends on the stage at which the disease develops. If moderate or severe whooping cough is diagnosed, the person is prescribed hospital stay. In most cases, such forms of the disease occur in infants and children under 1 year of age.

The disease can also be treated at home. In this case, in addition to following all the instructions of the attending physician, you will need to follow some recommendations:

daily ventilation of the living space in which the patient spends most of his time;
systematic air humidification, which will help eliminate coughing attacks and reduce their intensity;
complete exclusion of all irritants that could provoke attacks.

As for drug treatment, it consists of taking the following medications:

antibiotics, which are prescribed for mild cases of the disease (they help alleviate the general condition and are taken for 5-7 days);
symptomatic drugs (for example, antiemetics, anticonvulsants, etc.);
antipsychotics, which help reduce the number of seizures that occur after starting their use.

In addition to taking medications prescribed by a doctor, it is necessary to carry out physiotherapeutic procedures, which will only enhance their effectiveness and speed up recovery. The use of folk remedies is also permitted, but only with the consent of the attending physician.

Drug treatment

How to treat whooping cough in adults, including adolescents, depends on the nature of the disease. Mild pathology requires taking:

macrolide drugs, which include Summed and Azithromycin (such drugs help reduce the duration of further therapy and reduce the risk of infection spreading throughout the body);
antispasmodic drugs that help reduce the intensity of night attacks and eliminate spasms (these include belladonna extract and calcium gluconate);
vitamin preparations based on group B, as well as A and C (these help strengthen the general condition of the immune system and, as a result, increase its resistance to infectious agents);
antihistamines that help relieve the symptoms of an allergic reaction (this includes Claritin and Zyrtec).

In severe cases of the disease, in combination with the use of macrolides, it is necessary to administer the drug Ceftriaxone

If the disease is diagnosed at the middle stage of development, the following is prescribed:

antibiotics - macrolides in combination with cephalosporins, which helps to enhance the process of stopping the inflammatory process (they may additionally prescribe Ceftriaxone);
bronchodilators that help relax muscles and relieve spasms (for example, this can be Bromhexine, Sinekod, Lazolvan).

How to treat whooping cough if it develops at a severe stage? At this stage, the following will be effective:

macrolides and cephalosporins only in complex use;
glucocorticosteroids, which are prescribed to eliminate severe allergic symptoms (for example, Prednisolone);
drugs aimed at improving blood circulation in the brain if a complication has occurred in the central nervous system (this includes Pentoxifylline and Vinprocetine).

How to treat whooping cough in children:

with the help of antipsychotics and anticonvulsants (for example, it can be Pipolfen, Seduxen, Aminazine, etc.);
sedatives that help reduce the activity of the focus of excitation in the brain (it is advisable to take such drugs before bed, that is, at night; these include tincture of valerian or motherwort);
antispasmodics (belladonna extract or calcium gluconate solution);
antitussives and sputum thinners (for example, this can be Bronholitin, Sinekod, Tusuprex, Paxeladin, etc.);
antiallergic drugs if there are symptoms of an allergic reaction (Claritin, Suprastin, Diprazine, etc.);
vitamin preparations based on group B, as well as P, E, C, A;
immunomodulating drugs that increase the body’s protective function, namely Eleutherococcus, Metacil, Dibazol;
in severe cases - glucocorticoids (Prednisolone).

Physiotherapeutic treatment

Today, the most effective methods of physiotherapy that help cure whooping cough in adults and children are:

oxygen therapy,
calcium electrophoresis,

Oxygen therapy is suitable for the treatment of whooping cough in both children and adults

Oxygen therapy is prescribed if complications affecting the respiratory or cardiovascular system are diagnosed. Another name for this technique is oxygen therapy. Severe disease, which occurs in a child under 1 year of age, requires oxygen therapy in an oxygen tent or incubator.

The mixture that the child inhales contains no more than 40% oxygen. The procedure is carried out 2 times a day (no more). The total duration of one such session reaches 40 minutes. If the general condition is too severe, the child needs artificial ventilation.

Calcium electrophoresis is effective not only for whooping cough, but also for many other diseases of the lungs and bronchi, for example, bronchitis. The essence of the technique lies in the complex use of a certain medicine administered orally and an electric current that is applied to the body. Physiotherapy helps enhance the effectiveness of other therapeutic measures prescribed by the doctor and helps speed up the process of mucus discharge and dilute it.

UVR (ultraviolet irradiation of the body) for whooping cough and other respiratory diseases has a bactericidal and antiviral effect. The rays have a destructive effect on pathogenic microorganisms, contributing to their rapid death and loss of the ability to reproduce and grow. Long-wave ultraviolet irradiation has an immunostimulating effect.

Folk remedies

As prescribed by the attending physician, massage of the upper sternum and dorsal region at this level can be applied. This technique, when used, helps improve sputum discharge. During the massage process, you can use fir oil. To achieve a greater effect, the child is placed on his knees with his stomach down.

In addition to rubbing, during the massage you can lightly tap the skin with your palms or fingertips.

You can also carry out treatment with folk remedies, namely:

decoction of onions with the addition of honey (the decoction is made using 0.5 kg of onion and 1 liter of water; the product is kept on fire for 3 hours; 2 tablespoons of honey are added to the finished decoction; taken orally 6 times a day about 3 tbsp .l. at a time);
essential oils (a severe cough can be eliminated by dripping 3 drops of fir oil onto the tongue 2 times a day);
a decoction of licorice root (crush the raw material and pour boiling water in a ratio of 300 g per 1 liter, then let it boil for 8 minutes; the finished product is consumed orally, 1 tsp three times a day);
onion syrup (3 large onions are peeled, chopped and covered with sugar, leaving until the morning; after that, the chopped onion needs to be crushed a little, obtaining juice from it, which is consumed orally 1 tsp every hour);
herbal mixture consisting of pine buds, fennel, thyme, anise (each ingredient is taken 2 tsp and poured with boiling water in a volume of 1 liter; after infusing for 50 minutes, the product is filtered and taken orally several times a day, 2 tbsp . l.).

A severe and lingering cough can be stopped by smearing the chest and back with an ointment made from garlic and honey, taken in equal volumes, throughout the day. The mixture must be slightly warmed before application. It is recommended to apply a woolen scarf or compress paper over the compress. Carry out the procedure before bedtime.

Whooping cough, although a dangerous disease, is still treatable, especially in the first stages of its development. Even a slight cough should not be ignored. In this case, it is better to consult a doctor.

A dangerous infection, whooping cough, is recorded many times more often in children than in adults. Moreover, in 50% of cases, this disease affects children under two years of age. Those who have recovered from the disease rarely get sick again. At regular intervals of 2-4 years, an epidemic of whooping cough is recorded in each country, so routine vaccination is urgently required in accordance with the current vaccination schedule.

How is whooping cough transmitted in children: causes of the disease

The cause of whooping cough infection in children is the Bordet-Gangu bacillus. The resistance of pertussis bacillus to environmental factors is very low. The pathogen quickly dies when dried, when exposed to direct sunlight, or when the temperature rises. The length of the Bordet-Zhangu stick reaches 2 microns. Forms an exotoxin.

The source of pertussis infection is a sick person. It is most contagious in the initial period of the disease.

Here you can see a photo of the causative agent of whooping cough in children - Baudet-Giangu bacillus:

Then the patient’s infectiousness gradually becomes less. The patient continues to excrete pertussis bacilli for about a month after the onset of the disease.

How is whooping cough transmitted in children and how great is the susceptibility to this infection? Whooping cough is transmitted by airborne droplets. Since the pathogen is very unstable in the external environment, infection can only occur through very close and prolonged contact with a sick person. Infection through things and third parties is extremely rare.

It should be said that susceptibility to whooping cough is quite high. Children aged 1 to 5 years are most susceptible to the disease. Even very young children - the first months of life - can get whooping cough. Children over 10 years of age very rarely get whooping cough. Cases of whooping cough in adults can be called isolated. A child who has had whooping cough develops a strong immunity that lasts for life.

How does whooping cough occur in children: the course of the disease

The pertussis bacillus enters the body of a healthy person by inhaling tiny droplets of mucus and saliva present in the air around the patient. Droplets with whooping cough sticks settle on the mucous membrane lining the respiratory tract - the larynx, bronchi, bronchioles and pulmonary alveoli. Here the pathogen begins to multiply intensively and release an exotoxin. The Bordet-Zhangu stick does not penetrate the blood and does not spread to various organs and tissues.

The exotoxin produced by the pathogen irritates the nerve receptors that are embedded in the thickness of the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract. This irritation causes frequent paroxysmal coughing; in the central nervous system, irritation constantly transmitted along the centripetal nerves leads to the development of a stagnant focus of excitation.

During the course of whooping cough, the exotoxin in children is absorbed into the blood and has a pathogenic effect on the body - mainly on the nervous system (many nerve centers become excited). There is a general vascular spasm, which leads to an increase in blood pressure in the child.

The course of whooping cough disease in children is accompanied by spasm of the small bronchi, as a result of which the glottis narrows, vomiting appears, and clonic and tonic convulsions may occur. Due to frequent and prolonged coughing attacks, due to impaired blood circulation in the lungs, pulmonary ventilation suffers, this leads to the development of such dangerous phenomena as hypoxemia and hypoxia - the oxygen content in the blood and tissues decreases. As a result, the flow of oxidative processes in tissues is disrupted, and acidosis develops. Whooping cough causes nutritional disorders and the development of hypovitaminosis; The child’s body’s resistance drops sharply. When the so-called secondary flora (staphylococcus, streptococcus, pneumococcus, etc.) joins the disease process, various complications of the disease develop.

How does whooping cough manifest in children and what symptoms are it accompanied by?

The duration of the incubation period for whooping cough is from 3 to 15 days. The disease occurs in 3 periods: catarrhal period, period of spasmodic cough (or spasmodic period), period of resolution.

It is important for parents to know what symptoms of whooping cough in children appear during each period.

The catarrhal period can last up to 2 weeks. In an infant, it may be shorter; in an older child, this period is sometimes prolonged. The main sign of whooping cough in a child during this period is an increase in body temperature to moderate values; High fever is rare. From the very beginning of the disease, the child develops a dry cough. As days pass, the cough intensifies and becomes the leading manifestation of the disease. Towards the end of the catarrhal period, the cough takes on a paroxysmal character. Coughing attacks occur more often at night, which is why the child’s sleep cannot help but suffer. The child’s well-being suffers little. Appetite is usually not impaired. There may be a slight runny nose.

How does whooping cough manifest itself in children during the period of spasmodic cough, and what symptoms is it accompanied by? The duration of this period can be from 2 to 8 weeks. The cough is getting worse and worse, and its attacks are becoming obsessive. Attacks occur either suddenly or after certain precursors; The latter may include anxiety, a feeling of soreness or burning in the throat, behind the sternum, or a feeling of pressure in the chest. Then, after a deep breath, a whole series of coughing impulses occurs, they follow each other, without giving the child a break. Finally the coughing stops and a long, deep breath follows. Due to the narrowing of the glottis, inhalation is accompanied by a characteristic whistling sound. Next, a series of coughing impulses takes place again.

One of the symptoms of whooping cough in children during the spasmodic period– redness of the face during a coughing attack, sometimes the face even takes on a cyanotic (bluish) color. The eyes become bloodshot and watery from tension; the neck veins swell. The heart rate increases, and arterial and venous pressure increases. A young child may have involuntary urination and bowel movements during such an attack. Sometimes seizures develop. The more severe the disease, the longer the coughing attacks. The attack ends with coughing up a small amount of clear, viscous sputum and often with vomiting. Coughing attacks can be provoked by any external irritants (coughing becomes a conditioned reflex act) - loud noise, the appearance of a doctor or nurse, examination of the throat, type of medical instruments, etc. The general condition of a sick child, as a rule, does not suffer. Another symptom of whooping cough in children during the spasmodic period is lethargy. The child may be irritable; Sometimes convulsive twitching of the facial muscles is observed. The body temperature during the spasmodic period is normal in most children. If the body temperature suddenly rises, in such cases they think about the development of some kind of complication. The child eats well, plays with interest between coughing attacks, and leads a normal lifestyle. A doctor examining the oral cavity of a sick child usually finds a small ulcer on the frenulum of the tongue. This ulcer is formed during coughing attacks - during attacks, the tongue protrudes from the mouth and bends upward, while the frenulum of the tongue is injured on the lower incisors. The sore may be covered with a white coating. Subsequently, when the coughing attacks stop, the ulcer heals quite quickly.

The frequency of coughing attacks gradually decreases, the cough loses strength - this is how the third period of the disease begins, the period of resolution. The cough ceases to be spasmodic and convulsive. The sputum that is released when coughing becomes mucopurulent. All other manifestations of the disease disappear. The duration of the final period of whooping cough is up to 4 weeks.

Here you can see photos of whooping cough symptoms in children during each period of the disease:

Forms of the disease and complications after whooping cough in children

Whooping cough can occur in a child in mild, moderate and severe forms.

A mild form of the disease is characterized by a low frequency of coughing attacks - from 5 to 15 during the day; the attacks are short-lived, the patient’s general condition does not suffer, vomiting is rare.

If a child has moderate whooping cough, the number of attacks can reach 24 per day; attacks are longer, often ending in vomiting; The general condition may suffer somewhat.

In severe whooping cough, the number of coughing attacks approaches 30 per day (and maybe more); the attacks are long and severe, almost always end with vomiting, the child’s appetite and sleep suffer, a prolonged febrile reaction is characteristic, and the weight of the sick child decreases.

In children suffering from whooping cough, complications most often develop from the respiratory system. These are laryngitis, bronchitis, bronchopneumonia, pneumonia, pneumothorax, atelectasis, pleurisy, etc. Also, complications after whooping cough in a child can include encephalopathy, rectal prolapse, and umbilical hernia. Complications that arise as a result of the addition of a secondary infection to the disease process are especially severe, and in children in the first months of life can lead to death.

What to do with whooping cough in children: how to help your child

What to do with whooping cough in children to help sick children? Treatment is prescribed exclusively by a doctor. The vast majority of children with whooping cough are treated at home. The child is sent to the hospital if the illness is severe and if complications develop; Children of the first and second years of life also require hospitalization.

At high temperatures, as well as with the development of severe complications, the sick child must remain in bed.

If you don't know how to help your child with whooping cough, use the following recommendations.

The room in which the sick child is located must be ventilated as often as possible; The child is transferred to another room for ventilation.
If the child remains in a ventilated area, he should be warmly dressed or well covered with a blanket; During ventilation, the child should breathe exclusively through the nose.
When treating whooping cough in children at home, in the room in which the patient is located, you need to carry out wet cleaning 1-2 times a day; At the same time, use disinfectant solutions.
Organize split meals for the child (feed in small portions, but often); Diversify the baby’s diet with foods that are sources of vitamins for the body (vegetables, fruits, berries).
When treating whooping cough in children at home, the child should be fed only after coughing attacks; This reduces the likelihood of vomiting and food loss.
Give your child to drink more infusion of cinnamon rose hips; give blackcurrant juice to drink; Orange juice and other citrus juices are also very useful; the infusion of rose hips and all the juices mentioned above contain large quantities of ascorbic acid (vitamin C); this vitamin effectively suppresses bacterial flora and has a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect.
When a small child begins to have a spasmodic coughing attack, the mother should take the baby in her arms or sit her on her lap; An older child should sit up in bed; as practice shows, in a sitting position it is easier for a child to endure a coughing attack; It is also important that when the child is sitting, the likelihood of vomiting is somewhat reduced; For a baby, the psychological moment is of great importance: when he feels bad, his mother is nearby, she holds him, she calms him down, and the child is not as scared as it could be.
At the end of the coughing attack, mucus should be removed from the child’s nasal and oral cavity; this can be done using a dry gauze swab; You can clear the nasal cavity of a small child of mucus using a rubber balloon; you need to use the can as a suction; such a can of sufficient capacity can be purchased at any pharmacy; a container of minimal capacity is included in the standard “First Aid Kit for a Newborn”; After using the can, it should be washed thoroughly in soapy water.
To make spasmodic cough attacks less frequent, it is recommended to protect the child from exposure to any external irritants, which often provoke attacks; It is recommended to maintain silence and avoid any fuss around the sick child.
It is necessary to organize interesting leisure time for the child; the child should be busy playing, looking at pictures in books, drawing, etc.; Children's television programs are good at distracting a child from thoughts about illness and cough.
And most importantly: In the process of treating whooping cough, children should never be left alone for a long time.

Treatment of whooping cough in children at home with folk remedies

Before treating whooping cough in children with folk remedies, you should definitely consult with your doctor.

In the process of treating whooping cough in children at home, it is recommended:

take a mixture of fresh butter and honey; preparation of the product: mix butter and honey in equal quantities and knead the resulting mass thoroughly; Take a child, regardless of age, 1 teaspoon of the mixture 3 times a day;
regularly use the following quite effective remedy: grind 4-5 cloves of garlic to a paste, pour in 200 ml of cow's milk, boil for 3-4 minutes, then quickly cool the product, strain through 1-2 layers of gauze; children 3-5 years old drink half a glass of this warm decoction 3 times a day; for older children - more often; The duration of the course of treatment is 7-10 days.
Another effective folk method for treating whooping cough in children is to systematically give the child syrup made from onions and honey to drink; preparation of the product: you need to chop the onion to a pulpy state, quickly squeeze the juice out of the pulp, mix it with an equal amount of honey; For a child, regardless of age, take half a teaspoon of the mixture 3 times a day; The duration of the course of treatment is several days.
You can give olive oil and honey to drink; preparation of the product: mix the oil with the same amount of honey, bring this mixture to a boil once, then cool quickly; For a child, regardless of age, take half a teaspoon of this mixture 2-3 times a day.
An effective folk remedy for whooping cough in children with a strong spastic cough is to use a warm infusion of rhizomes with marshmallow roots for oral administration; preparation of infusion: 1 teaspoon of dried rhizome, crushed into a fine powder, place in a thermos, pre-heated with hot water, pour 200 ml of boiling water and leave for several hours, shaking from time to time, strain through 1-2 layers of gauze, squeeze well raw materials that have absorbed water; for a child aged 3-5 years, take 1 tablespoon of infusion 3-4 times a day before meals; children 6-7 years old drink 2 tablespoons of the product 3-4 times a day before meals; Children over 7 years old can take 3 tablespoons of infusion 3-4 times a day before meals.

How to treat whooping cough in children with folk remedies at home

To treat whooping cough in children with folk remedies, you can use the following recipes:

if a child has difficulty releasing sputum when coughing, it is recommended to use a warm infusion of wild rosemary herb for oral administration; preparing the infusion: grind the dried herb into powder, pour 1 teaspoon of the raw material into 400 ml of cold boiled water and leave in a sealed container at room temperature for 7-8 hours, then strain the finished infusion through 1-2 layers of gauze, absorbing the raw material water, squeeze well; children aged 3-5 years drink half a glass of the product 3 times a day before meals; a child 6-7 years old take half a glass of infusion 4 times a day before meals; children over 7 years old can drink a full glass of the product 3 times a day before meals;
in case of severe cough, use a warm infusion of rhizomes with roots of elecampane for oral administration; preparing the infusion: grind the dried raw materials into powder (you can do this on a fine grater), pour 1 teaspoon of the raw materials into 200 ml of cooled boiled water and leave in a sealed container at room temperature for about 8 hours, shaking the product periodically, then strain after 1- 2 layers of gauze; for a child aged 3-5 years, take the infusion 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day for 20-30 minutes. before meals; children 6-7 years old drink 2 tablespoons 3-4 times a day for 20-30 minutes. before meals; children over 7 years old can take a quarter glass of infusion 3 times a day half an hour before meals;
as a very effective expectorant and anti-inflammatory agent, drink a decoction of coltsfoot leaves for your child; preparing the decoction: pour 2-3 tablespoons of dried, crushed herbs into a glass of water and cook at low boil for about 10 minutes, then cool quickly, strain through 2 layers of gauze, squeeze out the remaining raw materials that have absorbed water; for children under 10 years of age, take 1 teaspoon of decoction 5-6 times a day; Children over 10 years old drink 1 tablespoon of the product 5-6 times a day.
Another effective remedy for treating whooping cough in children is to take a warm infusion of Scots pine buds. Preparation of the infusion: thoroughly crush the dried pine buds with a pestle in a mortar, pour 1 tablespoon of the raw material into 200 ml of boiling water and leave in a sealed container at room temperature for about 45 minutes, strain through 1 layer of gauze, squeeze out the remaining raw material; for children aged 8-10 years, take 1 tablespoon 5-6 times a day; children over 10 years old drink a quarter glass of infusion 3-4 times a day;

Traditional methods of treating whooping cough in children: the best recipes

Here are some more of the best folk recipes for whooping cough in children that can be used at home:

take an infusion prepared from a collection of medicinal plants of the following composition: oregano herb - 1 part, marshmallow flowers - 1 part, creeping thyme herb - 1 part; preparation of the product: place 1 tablespoon of the dried, well-ground mixture in a thermos, preheated with hot water, pour 200 ml of boiling water and leave for at least 45 minutes, let the product cool, strain through 1-2 layers of gauze, squeeze out the remaining raw materials well; For children, regardless of age, take 1 tablespoon of infusion 4 times a day before meals;
when an ulcer appears on the frenulum of the tongue, rinse the child’s mouth with a decoction of the leaves of silver birch (or silver birch); preparation of the product: dried birch leaves should be thoroughly crushed with a pestle in a mortar, pour 1 tablespoon of the powder with a glass of water and cook at low boil for 10-15 minutes, then quickly cool the broth, strain through 1-2 layers of gauze, squeeze out the remaining raw materials; Use warm for rinsing the mouth and throat; rinse 5-6 times a day.
Also, when treating whooping cough in children with folk remedies, you can rinse the child’s mouth with a warm infusion of peppermint herb. Preparation of the product: pour 2 teaspoons of dried, powdered leaves with a glass of boiling water and leave, covered, at room temperature for about 15 minutes, strain through 1-2 layers of gauze; rinse the mouth 3-4 times a day; alternate with the use of other means;
rinse the child’s mouth and throat with a warm infusion of flowers and leaves of St. John’s wort; preparation of the product: grind dried flowers and leaves into powder, pour 1 tablespoon of raw materials with a glass of boiling water and leave in a sealed container at room temperature for 15-20 minutes, strain through cheesecloth, squeeze out the remaining raw materials; rinse your mouth and throat 4-5 times a day, alternating with other rinses.

In preventing whooping cough, the main burden falls on active immunization; use pertussis-diphtheria-tetanus vaccine. A sick child is isolated for about a month from the date of illness to prevent the spread of infection.

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