What to look for and how to treat it

Whooping cough is a bacterial infection of the lungs and affects your breathing. It is easy to spread and can cause serious problems, especially in children, pregnant people and those with existing conditions. But, the good news is, most adults in the UK have been vaccinated against it, and it is treatable with a course of antibiotics. Below is some information on what to look out for and what to do if you think you (or someone in your household) has whooping cough.

Symptoms

It will start off very similar to the common cold. After a week or two the characteristic coughing fits will start. They can last for several minutes and are often worse at night. The coughing can lead to:

• sore ribs
• hernias
• middle ear infections
• pee leaking when you cough.

At this stage, whooping cough is contagious and could spread to others. The earlier you start the treatment, the sooner you will be back on your feet and be non-contagious.

Treatment

Antibiotics are used to treat whooping cough. A doctor will prescribe you a course of treatment. You must take the full course of medication, otherwise the infection could come back.

The medication won't ease the symptoms, but it will treat the infection. To ease the symptoms you should:

• get lots of bed rest
• drink lots of fluid
• take paracetamol or ibuprofen to help the discomfort.

Important

Although whooping cough can be treated easily, it can be dangerous to certain groups of people. If your symptoms worsen or it becomes hard to breathe call 999 and seek urgent medical attention. 

You can find out more about whooping cough on the NHS website.