Whooping cough, also known as the 100-day cough, starts with mild cold-like symptoms before progressing to severe coughing fits that can cause vomiting and fatigue. Antibiotics can shorten the illness, but recovery can take up to three months. Infants and children should be closely monitored, and cyanosis should be evaluated by a doctor immediately. Diagnosis can be difficult, and treatment includes decongestants, cough suppressants, and antibiotics.
The 100-day cough, or whooping cough, begins with symptoms that are sometimes mistaken for a mild cold. The disease usually progresses through an introductory catarrhal period, a paroxysmal cough period, and a recovery period. Severe spasms may accompany coughing fits, and many vomit or feel very weak after the cough temporarily subsides. Early treatment with antibiotics can shorten the length of the illness, but most people can expect a 100-day cough to last two to seven weeks.
During the introductory catarrhal stage, the first symptoms that are usually noticed are a slight fever and a runny nose. Then a sore throat develops and a dry, non-productive cough begins. Sneezing and nasal congestion can accompany a general feeling of being unwell. These mild symptoms can last up to two to three weeks before progressing to the period of paroxysmal cough.
The second stage of the 100 day cough is the most severe. Sudden coughing fits can consume all day and night, with short defined no-cough breaks between cough spells. The severe spasms that mark the coughing fit can often cause vomiting and fatigue.
A distinct sounding cough defines the paroxysmal stage. Short coughing fits that happen quickly can interfere with a person’s ability to breathe, and a loud whooping sound is often heard when they can finally inhale. The whooping sound is not present in all sufferers. A person may be short of breath for several minutes after a spasm of coughing.
Coughing attacks can become dangerous when prolonged episodes cause a reduction in blood oxygen levels. Low levels of available blood oxygen can cause cyanosis, which causes the skin and nail beds to turn blue. Any person experiencing cyanosis should be evaluated by a doctor immediately.
Infants and children with 100 days of cough symptoms should be closely monitored throughout the illness. A child with whooping cough may not seem to cough at all. During this stage of the child’s development, the cough reflex is underdeveloped. Your baby may simply stop breathing or appear to be holding their breath until they turn blue.
Diagnosing this condition can be difficult because the coughing fits last a long time after the bacterium has been cleared from the body. The lungs often sound normal when doctors evaluate their function. Many times, mucus membrane cultures produce no diagnostic results.
The 100-day cough treatment should begin as soon as the disease is suspected. A decongestant and cough suppressant may be prescribed to relieve bothersome symptoms. Antibiotics are useful when the disease has been diagnosed in its early stages and can shorten the course of the disease. Recovery from 100-day cough symptoms can take up to three months. Cough spells may last longer than other symptoms before subsiding completely as the damaged lung tissue heals.
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