Initially, it was believed that a disease such as whooping cough, the symptoms of which will be described later, occurs only in children, but today there are recorded cases where this ailment affected both middle-aged and teenagers. However, in adulthood, this ailment is transferred much easier.
Pertussis itself is a rather complex disease of an infectious nature. As a rule, the main symptom of whooping cough is a rather strong cough of a suffocating character. In this case, the disease can be transmitted from one person to another.
How the infection is transmitted, the main pathogens
Speaking about the symptoms and treatment of whooping cough, it is worth noting that this ailment can be easily transmitted by airborne droplets. Thus, a perfectly healthy person can catch this infection without even suspecting it.
The main causative agent of the disease is the pertussis wand Borde-argu, which received its beautiful name in honor of the scientist who discovered it. It is also called bordetella. Pertussis does not live long in an open environment. As a rule, it dies quite quickly in conditions of high or low temperatures, with drought, as well as from ultraviolet radiation. For example, while the floor is in direct sunlight, it is capable of life for no more than 60 minutes. In cold weather, she dies in a matter of seconds.
Thus, after the patient is in the hospital, no additional treatment is required.
As a rule, the disease can be transmitted exclusively by direct contact with the infected. In this case, the person should be at least 2 meters from the carrier of the disease. Usually, adults and children “pick up” this ailment if they inhale particles of mucus that the patient carries during coughing, sneezing, or during a normal conversation. After this, the symptoms of whooping cough quickly begin to appear in an infected person.
If we talk about the greatest danger, then the greatest threat is posed by those people who suffer from spasmodic cough. During this period, they infect the maximum number of people.
Development mechanism
As a rule, an infection enters the human body through the upper respiratory tract. After that, pertussis is localized in the mucous membrane of the throat, bronchi and trachea. However, at this stage, the infection bacteria are confronted with category A immunoglobulins, which prevent the fixing of harmful components. In addition, immune cells begin to actively remove unfriendly bacteria from the body. This explains why the symptoms of whooping cough in children of 3 years are much more common.
The thing is that up to this point, the immune cells received from the mother are stored in the child’s body. However, from the age of 3, the formation of individual immunity begins, respectively, the baby is not yet ready for such attacks from the outside. If the disease develops at an earlier age, this suggests that the baby's body is too weak. In this case, the ailment proceeds in a more complex form.
When pertussis is still attached to the epithelium, it begins to release toxic substances, leading to inflammatory reactions. As a rule, the lesion affects the small bronchi most of all. However, the pathogen is not able to penetrate into the cells; accordingly, there can be no serious pathological changes. Nevertheless, the development of the disease leads to edema of the upper layers of the epithelium and, in some cases, to desquamation and death of some cells. If secondary infection develops against the background of whooping cough, then this can lead to erosion.
If we talk about the symptoms of pertussis in the form of a cough, then it usually develops according to a rather complex scheme. First, the epithelium itself is irritated, which is influenced by toxins secreted by pertussis bacillus. Against this background, the development of an allergic syndrome begins. This is due to the fact that there is a release of special substances called inflammatory mediators. At the next stage, bronchospasm occurs and the cough begins to resemble asthmatic type bronchitis very strongly.
At the next stage, the vagus nerve is irritated. This leads to the fact that in the central nervous system there is irritation of the foci responsible for the work of the respiratory center. In this case, the patient begins to cough. In this case, the reaction can occur on any stimulus. For example, similar symptoms of pertussis in adults can occur from any stimuli, such as a sharp turn on bright light, too loud music, stress and much more.
With whooping cough, vomiting syndrome can also occur. This means that with especially acute forms of the disease, a person can cough so badly that it will lead to nausea.
At the next stage, the disease affects the level of blood pressure. In this case, the heart muscle begins to contract too often. It can also lead to seizures that look very much like an epileptic seizure.
According to the famous pediatric doctor Komarovsky, the symptoms of whooping cough in young children can be very serious when it comes to the rapid development of the disease. In this case, the lesion affects the respiratory center. Because of this, respiratory arrest may even occur.
Whooping cough: symptoms in adults
In adulthood, this ailment does not manifest itself as clearly as in childhood. As a rule, the disease develops over 5-6 weeks. During this time, the patient goes through several stages:
- Catarrhal period. This stage can last up to two weeks. This period is an intermediate between direct infection and the development of the disease. If we talk about what symptoms of pertussis appear at this stage, then it is worth highlighting a constant dry cough. In this case, the temperature rarely rises. As a rule, it is at this time that diagnosing the pathology is most difficult, therefore medical errors are not ruled out. As a rule, a specialist comes to the conclusion that a person suffers from SARS, in rare cases - from bronchitis. These errors are very dangerous, since in fact the patient poses a threat to others, since during this period he can infect a huge number of people, including his family and friends. In addition, whooping cough is much easier to treat at the initial stage. If the doctor could not recognize the disease in a timely manner, then the Bordenella will lose their activity by about the twenty-first day. However, during this time they will remain contagious. Nevertheless, with the extinction of their activity, the symptoms of whooping cough disease will increase. This means that the patient will suffer from more severe coughing attacks.
- Paroxysmal period. This stage may have a rather long duration. In some situations, this stage develops up to three months. This stage got its name not by chance. This is due to the fact that during this period there are very specific coughing episodes that are difficult to attribute to any other illness and, moreover, to attribute all to seasonal flu. The patient himself can quite easily determine this symptomatology. In this case, the cough will be a series of 5-10 tremors following one after another, almost without interruption. At the same time, during an attack, the patient can hardly breathe. Because of this, after coughing, he captures the air with a characteristic whistle, which in medical practice is called a reprise. This condition is explained by the fact that the glottis narrows significantly. Usually, after some time after breathing is restored, the attack is repeated. During paroxysms, sputum is released. If we are talking about symptoms of pertussis up to a year, then infants begin to swallow the discharge, which can cause vomiting. When a patient coughs, his face may turn red. Also, during attacks, patients begin to stick out their tongues so hard outward, this can lead to injury. If an adult suffers from whooping cough, then in this case it literally weakens, a sharp deterioration is observed. The paroxysmal period can last quite a long time, in some situations the ailment does not release for 3 months. After this, seizures occur less and less, and coughing becomes not so strong. Most difficult during this period is infants under the age of one year, but in infants this disease is very rare. If this still happens, then there is a high risk of respiratory arrest for several minutes, so such manifestations are very dangerous in babies just born. If we talk about the symptoms of vaccinated, pertussis in the paroxysmal stage in this case is much easier. In some cases, its manifestations are practically not noticeable, therefore this phenomenon is called the "erased form".
After going through the catarrhal and paroxysmal period of the development of the disease, a person begins to feel better.
However, according to pediatric practice, the symptoms of whooping cough (cough) recede in the second month of the development of the disease. Nevertheless, it all depends on the specific situation. During this period, coughing attacks continue, but the person no longer experiences such severe suffocation, and his condition is gradually restored.
Possible complications in adults
If we talk about the symptoms and treatment of whooping cough, then it is worth considering that this ailment does not disappear without a trace. After relief, the disease can manifest itself in the form of complications. So, sometimes autoimmune processes develop or a secondary infection appears.
If a person suffers from very strong and long attacks of coughing with suffocation, then in this case the brain does not receive the necessary amount of oxygen. This is due to the fact that spasms occur in the bronchi, which, in turn, leads to abnormal respiratory rhythm. In addition, the circulatory process in the cervical region and the head is disturbed. If a person has hypoxia attacks, then this can lead to encephalopathy, which is characterized by severe damage to the brain. Convulsive syndrome may occur in the meninges. Such complications are fraught with very sad consequences, since in such a situation hemorrhage in the human brain can even occur.
However, this is not all. If a strong cough provokes severe spasms of the bronchi, then in this case it will be much more difficult for the lung to fill with air. In the most difficult situations, pneumothorax is fixed. This ailment is characterized by a large accumulation of gases in the pleural cavities. This is due to tears that occur in the lung tissue. The patient may also develop subcutaneous emphysema. In this case, the air will migrate from the pleural cavity and redirect to the area where the subcutaneous tissue of the neck is located.
In addition, during moments of severe coughing attacks, there is a sharp increase in pressure inside the peritoneum. This can trigger an inguinal or umbilical hernia.
If we talk about secondary infections, then most often patients suffer from pneumonia and purulent otitis media. These pathologies are also very dangerous for the human body. Therefore, it is important to see the symptoms of whooping cough in time. Treatment, prophylaxis and other measures should be carried out as soon as possible.
Against the background of whooping cough, an autoimmune process may develop. This is due to the fact that severe inflammatory processes occur inside the body. In this case, allergies can also develop. In rare cases, pertussis passes into bronchitis or bronchial asthma.
Complications in children
If you look at the photo of symptoms of whooping cough in children, it may seem that this is a manifestation of the usual seasonal virus.
However, do not overlook the problem. If a baby under the age of 6 months suffers from whooping cough, then in this case he may develop apnea or atelectasis, which is characterized by lung decay. Also, doctors often diagnose the appearance of pneumonia, convulsive syndrome and encephalopathy. The latter ailment, as mentioned earlier, leads to impaired functioning of the brain. Which can also provoke a blockage of the bronchi.
There is also a risk that the baby will develop bronchopneumonia. Similar troubles are recorded in 15% of cases when it comes to children under the age of 1 year. Also, this ailment negatively affects the functioning of the central nervous system. All these complications are extremely dangerous for any person, regardless of his age, however, babies tolerate such phenomena much worse.
Atypical forms of pertussis
In this case, we are talking about an abortive and erased form of development of the disease. Similar symptoms are usually observed in adults and those who have been vaccinated against whooping cough. If we are talking about the erased form, then in this case there are no characteristic coughing attacks. However, this does not mean that the symptoms are completely absent. The patient may suffer from a dry cough, which becomes impossible to overcome with the help of standard medicines. Such manifestations can last for many days, in some cases, development lasts for months.
With an abortive form, seizures can stop as quickly as they started. As a rule, in this case, the patient suffers from the disease for no more than a few days. This is due to the fact that a person was vaccinated against pertussis on time.
Treatment
To quickly get rid of an unpleasant illness, it is recommended to consult a doctor. If we talk about the symptoms and treatment of pertussis in adults, then in this case there is no need to observe bed rest if the disease manifests itself in a very mild form. Moreover, in such situations, patients are advised to walk as much as possible and be in the fresh air. But it is best to stay away from noisy gatherings. As a rule, in this case, you can encounter a large number of irritants. It is also worth giving preference to places where there are many ponds. Moist air can help relieve coughing attacks.
It is also worth considering that coughing fits are much easier to tolerate in the cold. Therefore, experts recommend ventilating the room and use humidifiers. The optimum temperature in the room should be between + 18-20 degrees.
Regardless of the stage of the disease, you must definitely visit a doctor. As a rule, he prescribes a course of antibiotics. In order not to bring the ailment to the appearance of a spasmodic cough, it is worth taking erythromycin or azithromycin in a timely manner. However, you can start taking any drugs only as prescribed by a specialist.
Features of the treatment of pertussis in children
If we are talking about the severe manifestation of an ailment in children, exacerbations, chronic development and the development of symptoms that threaten life, then hospitalization is required, regardless of whether the child is at home or in kindergarten. After that, exclusively in a hospital setting, measures are taken to stop the development of an infectious disease.
According to Dr. Komarovsky, the symptoms of pertussis in children are rarely so strong as to carry out drug treatment. As a rule, kids walk with as many as possible. In addition, a special diet should be developed by a doctor. Proper diet and foods containing a large amount of vitamins help improve the condition of babies.
If the disease develops in a severe form, then in this case it is necessary to ensure that the sick child eats more often, but at the same time in small portions. If the baby vomited, then you need to feed him.
If a mild or moderate stage occurs, the doctor prescribes erythromycin. Also, azithromycin and augmentin give a positive effect.
In especially difficult cases, when it is impossible to give pills to the baby due to constant vomiting, antibiotics are administered intramuscularly.
If the child does not experience sharp relief after taking the medication, many parents prefer to interrupt the course of treatment. However, this is not recommended. Most drugs have a cumulative effect, so it is impossible to expect a second-second result.
Also, expectorants are often prescribed for babies. They are not able to relieve cough, but significantly facilitate the patient's condition.
ethnoscience
If after the appearance of symptoms of pertussis in adults, treatment does not give visible results, then you can consult a doctor about the use of natural medicines.
As a rule, foliage of a plantain allows to cope with an ailment. Everyone knows that this plant has excellent expectorant and anti-inflammatory properties. To muffle coughing attacks, it is recommended to prepare a special drink. To do this, pour freshly collected leaves with boiling water, add a little honey to the mixture, let it cool and drink the patient.
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