Whooping cough symptoms in children: how to treat them. Whooping cough, convulsive cough in a child, symptoms, causes, treatment, signs. What is needed to treat childhood whooping cough?

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 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.

How does measles manifest in a child? Find out about this from ours.

Concept and characteristics

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

Whooping cough is infection, affecting organs baby's breathing. U 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 whooping cough 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 coughs. 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 persistent cough the 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.

You can find pediatricians specializing in the treatment of impetigo in children on our website.

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 to 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 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 cause harm to the child’s health by providing negative impact 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

Recipes traditional medicine used for whooping cough 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.

For some ingredients, your child may have or food intolerance. 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:

1. Decoctions from 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 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 portions throughout the day).
2. Milk(to improve the overall health of the child, you can use milk with the addition of honey, cocoa butter or butter).
3. Butter with honey(the ingredients should be mixed in equal quantities and given to the child one teaspoon several times a day).
4. Onions with honey(the onion must be chopped, squeezed out the juice, mixed in equal quantities onion juice and honey, give the product to the child several times a day, one teaspoon).
5. Steam inhalations(the child should regularly breathe in the steam of boiled potatoes, as well as over a decoction of eucalyptus or calendula).

What does scrofula look like in children? is on our website.

Prevention

If contact with a carrier of whooping cough is revealed, 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:

1. If an outbreak of the disease is detected in a kindergarten, the child must be examined and medicinal measures taken to prevent whooping cough.
2. Children with low immunity It is recommended to spend as little time as possible in crowded places and limit their contact with children.
3. The child must create conditions that meet sanitary requirements (regular change of bed linen, wet cleaning and ventilation of the room).
4. 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 whooping cough 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.

What are the first signs of dysentery in a child? find out right now.

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 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 - very serious illness, 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 fatal disease, a huge number of small children died from it. 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.

Once the pertussis bacillus enters the body, it 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. Cough not caused inflammatory processes in the bronchi, so often when listening chest For a patient with whooping cough, the doctor concludes, “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

Whooping cough is very common (especially in early stage development) are confused with acute respiratory viral infections, acute respiratory infections, bronchitis and others respiratory diseases. Here are some symptoms characteristic of whooping cough.

1. 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.
2. During a strong cough, the child may vomit. This is due to excessive irritation back wall language.
3. In addition, general intoxication of the body occurs. The child becomes lethargic, apathetic, capricious, and loses his appetite.
4. On initial stages During the development of whooping cough, a slight temperature may appear, but it rarely rises above 38 degrees.
5. At the end of a coughing attack, sputum may be discharged - viscous, transparent, glassy.
6. 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.
7. Coughing attacks during whooping cough are quite long and can last about five minutes.

If whooping cough is associated bacterial infection, 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, it is assigned symptomatic treatment. First of all, this antihistamines. They help relieve swelling of the larynx, which reduces the number and intensity of coughing attacks. IN severe cases little patient antispasmodics are prescribed to relieve the intensity of cough at night. Can also be assigned sedatives to reduce the number of nerve impulses that cause coughing attacks. When a runny nose or nasal congestion occurs, use vasoconstrictor drops, to bring down the temperature - antipyretics.

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. To date modern methods treatments 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.

1. 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).
2. Be sure to ventilate the room as often as possible to ensure your child has access to fresh air.
3. Wet cleaning of the room should be done daily to eliminate the provoking factor – house dust.
4. During illness, be sure to install a humidifier in the room. It will significantly reduce the frequency and intensity of attacks.
5. In the first days of the child, when signs of intoxication of the body are still present, it is necessary to provide the patient bed rest. Instead of active games Read a fairy tale to your child, look at books.
6. Nutrition should be balanced and light. The child should eat often, but little by little. Avoid provoking factors - chocolate, spicy, smoked and fried foods.
7. If whooping cough is severe, you may need an oxygen mask. But usually this is practiced only in stationary conditions.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. If you get whooping cough infant, it should be left in a dark and cool room, away from provoking sounds and noise. This will reduce the number of coughing attacks.
11. 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 not so debilitating.

If a coughing attack starts at night, try to help your child. You can give him something to drink warm water to soothe the mucous membrane. 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 at hand, take your child into the bath and turn on 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 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's a recipe for another one efficient 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. Active substances medicinal herbs soothe the laryngeal mucosa, relieve swelling, reduce activity nerve endings which cause spasm.

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

It is no coincidence that whooping cough is included in the list of dangerous childhood diseases, because more than a million children still die from this insidious disease every year. The worst thing is that a disease that can be cured with a regular antibiotic turns out to be fatal for newborns and babies under the age of one year old. The sad statistics are due to the fact that the disease is difficult to detect at its early stage, which is why it is so important for parents full information about illness. How does the disease begin, what symptoms does it show, what helps to cure it, and what is prevention? dangerous illness– current topics of our review.

General information about whooping cough

The disease is caused by a bacterium with the Latin name Bordetella pertussis, which has specific impact. Whooping cough is transmitted by airborne droplets through coughing in close contact with a sick person and is a childhood disease, but there have been cases of infection among the adult population - often it is an adult who becomes the culprit for infecting a child with whooping cough.

How long does it take for an infection to affect the body? The lifespan of whooping cough is short, and it can only pass to another person from a short distance. Close contact, unfortunately, guarantees 100% infection.

If the baby is contagious, but no one yet knows about it, and the child continues to attend kindergarten, then he can easily provoke whooping cough in children from his group. Unvaccinated children are especially at risk of getting sick.

Getting into the bronchi and trachea, Bordetella pertussis clings to ciliated epithelium these organs and begins its harmful effects. The cough center, located in the brain, is subject to constant irritation, and the amount of viscous mucus increases. In addition, the bacterium releases toxins that continue their irritating effect even after the rod itself is killed.

Doctors have found that the problem of a long cure for the disease is not an infection of the respiratory organs, but the irritating effect of the cough center. With such a clinical picture, the treatment methods for the viral type of cough and its pertussis counterpart are fundamentally different. The disease in its acute infectious form is severe and poses a particular danger to the health of newborns and babies up to one year old. A serious picture of the disease emerges in unvaccinated children. When the body is not ready or there is nothing to oppose it insidious infection, the disease can last up to 3 months.

What symptoms are accompanied by whooping cough?

Dear reader!

This article talks about typical ways to solve your issues, but each case is unique! If you want to know how to solve your particular problem, ask your question. It's fast and free!

The incubation period of the disease is 7-14 days - the period during which the whooping cough bacterium colonizes the mucous membrane of the respiratory organs, begins to multiply and provokes the sending of irritating signals to the brain. The cough center responds to irritation with severe coughing attacks that last about 3 months. Doctors call whooping cough the “hundred-day cough.”

Associated symptoms

Since the disease is infectious nature, it is not expressed by just coughing. The disease is accompanied by other symptoms:

• temperature rise to 38 degrees;
• easy pain syndrome in the throat;
• runny nose;
• dry cough.

The symptoms are very similar to a cold, so consultation with a pediatrician is necessary. Diagnosis is based on an examination of the child, tests, and the nature of the cough, which show the doctor a clear picture, as a result he will be able to accurately plan treatment. Prompt therapeutic action is especially important for infants, who find it very difficult to endure spasmodic attacks.

Whooping cough can easily be confused with a common cold, so the diagnosis should only be made by a specialist

Specific features of cough with whooping cough

Cough with whooping cough has specific manifestations. With each attack, you can see how the intensity of the cough increases, acquiring a spasmodic character. By the way, the process is easier for vaccinated children. The specific differences shown in the video help to recognize the cause of a cough. The unpleasant process looks like this:

• Cough shock. It is formed during exhalation, causing the child to cough violently, preventing him from taking a breath.
• Reprise is a deep breath accompanied by a whistle. A whistling sound is formed at the moment of spasm of the glottis. The narrow children's larynx contributes to the pronounced whistling sound.
• Blue or red face. Occurs due to a lack of air, blocked by coughing attacks: blood rushes in or, on the contrary, flows poorly to skin, the body reacts by changing their color.
• Mucus production or vomiting. A strong and prolonged coughing attack ends in vomiting, along with which viscous mucus may come out.
• Acute phase. Occurs after a 10-day increase in cough attacks. For two weeks the symptoms remain unchanged, expressed as constant attacks cough and general malaise. Then a slow softening and reduction in the time of attacks begins.

The break between attacks gives the baby rest, and he behaves as usual: walks, plays, chats cheerfully. However, the number of attacks varies depending on the severity of the disease, as photographs of sick children clearly show. One child may cough 20 times a day, while another may have 40-50 coughs a day. With such intensity, the baby noticeably gets tired, his behavior changes, he becomes lethargic and irritable.

Cough during whooping cough literally exhausts the child, but the rest of the time he may feel quite normal

What stages does the disease go through?

After conducting classification studies, doctors identified and described three stages of whooping cough. We provide their detailed characteristics:

1. Catarrhal. The stage is accompanied by a cough, runny nose and a rise in temperature to 37.5-37.7 degrees (rare). The nature of the cough is unproductive, dry, with frequent attacks. The catarrhal phase lasts up to 2-3 weeks. The symptoms are unclear, so the doctor may determine it as bronchitis or acute respiratory infections. Most cases of infection occur at the catarrhal stage due to its mild course. The probability of becoming infected through close contact with a sick person is 100%.
2. A paroxysmal cough occurs after the symptoms of a common acute respiratory infection disappear. The cough takes on an obsessive form and causes a spasmodic reaction. An experienced pediatrician, without additional research, will accurately diagnose whooping cough at this stage, but a blood test must be taken. It should be noted that at this stage, whooping cough in a vaccinated child is milder or takes a short time, during which the doctor does not have time to make a diagnosis.
3. Recovery. The period when the intensity of attacks noticeably decreases, they pass more easily, and the child’s general condition improves. The treatment does not stop, but the danger of complications recedes.

What are the complications of whooping cough?

Even an experienced doctor cannot speed up the recovery process for whooping cough, but proper treatment can significantly alleviate the course of the disease and eliminate unwanted complications. The greatest danger from whooping cough is faced by the smallest patients - newborns and children up to 6 months. Whooping cough can lead to respiratory arrest in infants. A common consequence of whooping cough is pneumonia.

A rise in temperature at a certain stage of the disease may indicate a deterioration in the child’s condition

Parents of a baby with whooping cough should closely monitor his health and pay attention to the following signs:

• unexpected deterioration in the child’s condition;
• rise in temperature in the 2nd week of illness;
• rapid breathing, coughing attacks last longer and become more intense.

With such obvious changes in the condition of a child, especially an infant, it is necessary to immediately hospitalize him and get tested. The baby will spend a little time in the hospital, but this will be enough for the doctor to observe the acute period and, based on the blood and sputum tests obtained, stabilize the child’s condition with medication.

It is important for parents not to miss alarming moments and ensure timely professional help to your treasure.

How to treat whooping cough?

Most young patients with whooping cough are treated at home. The hospital is indicated for severe cases of the disease. Therapeutic measures consist of taking medications, but the first place in the fight against the disease is to provide the child with conditions that help relieve coughing attacks. Parents should:

• ventilate the room more often and walk outside with the child;
• maintain air humidity levels;
• feed the baby in fractional portions, ensuring that the diet is balanced with vitamins and other useful elements;
• protect the baby from stressful situations;
• muffle the sound, dim the lights so as not to irritate the little patient;
• distract from coughing attacks with a new cartoon or toy.

As you can see, these actions will not require incredible efforts from parents, but will greatly ease the child’s suffering from an obsessive illness. Peace, affection, and the interest of mom and dad in a speedy recovery will help your little treasure to endure coughing attacks with mental peace. The affectionate whooping cough does not give up its position for a long time, so it is doubly important to be attentive to the child’s physical discomfort.

The use of folk remedies

Whooping cough has been known for a long time; it has sad statistics, especially in past centuries, when many babies died from the disease. Naturally, healers of the past looked for ways to combat it, tried to treat young patients with various herbal tinctures, decoctions, and juices. We will tell you about folk remedies that have long been used to treat whooping cough. Parents can use them to alleviate attacks:

• calamus and honey;
• nettle or radish juice;
• clover infusion;
• a mixture of ginger juice, almond oil and onion juice.

Choosing folk remedy, make sure your child is not allergic to it. When using inhalations with herbal components, you can reduce irritation from a dry cough - the main thing is that the medicines are sprayed in high humidity (in the bathroom or using a humidifier). Nebulizer inhalations with mineral water are good for cough relief.

Treatment with antibiotics

The bacterial nature of whooping cough requires the mandatory use of antibiotics. Note that with the help of antibiotics, coughing attacks at the catarrhal stage of the disease are significantly reduced. Medicines help prevent the onset of a sharp exacerbation of the disease in the form of paroxysmal cough.

Doctors note the resistance of the bacterium Bordetella pertussis to the penicillin series of antibiotics. “Augmentin”, “Amoxiclav”, “Flemoclav Solutab” are useless in the fight against whooping cough; it is recommended to use Erythromycin (we recommend reading:). The drug gives quick effect improvements.

You need to keep in mind that not every antibiotic is suitable for treating whooping cough.

Antibiotic treatment started in acute period when the cough enters the spasmodic phase, it continues. The therapy is aimed at making the child non-infectious to other children, since antibiotics can no longer affect the cough center of the brain. The medications are taken strictly according to the plan prescribed by the doctor: at the exact time, duration and doses. Parents should control this process, avoiding serious deviations from the intake schedule.

Anti-cough medications

An obsessive cough causes physical and psychological discomfort to the child. The baby begins to be capricious, refuses to eat, and is afraid of coughing attacks.

Antitussive medications that suppress the cough reflex help reduce annoying symptoms. Pharmacies offer them in a wide range. If you consider it necessary, use drugs such as Glycodin, Sinekod, Codelac Neo, Codeine, Panatus (we recommend reading:).

We draw the attention of parents that cough suppressants may contain narcotic components, addictive. They are potentially harmful to a small organism and can cause undesirable consequences. For infants Cough medications are used with permission and under the constant supervision of the local pediatrician, in limited or strictly calculated doses.

Taking medications must be carried out under the supervision of a doctor

Mucolytic and expectorant agents

Indicated for the treatment of cough during viral infections, bronchitis, pneumonia, tracheitis. For whooping cough, they are prescribed to reduce complications in order to prevent the occurrence of pneumonia or chronic bronchitis in children and adults. They work to liquefy mucus and remove it from the respiratory system. Although they do not relieve coughing attacks, they are useful in controlling whooping cough.

Homeopathic therapy

Homeopathy offers its own methods of combating disease based on the use of natural ingredients. Helps vaccinated children well. In the catarrhal stage of whooping cough, the child is given Nux vomica 3 or Pulsatilla 3. The first remedy helps with dry cough, the second is indicated for sputum production. If fever appears during the catarrhal period of the disease, the child can drink Aconite 3, which helps lower the temperature, relieve headaches, remove symptoms of irritability and a feeling of general malaise. Take 2-3 drops every 2 hours.

How to carry out prevention?

The main preventive weapon against whooping cough is timely vaccination of the child. Dr. Komarovsky explains that vaccination does not provide a 100% guarantee against the disease, but it reduces the risks that may arise if the disease is advanced or the baby’s body was weakened before the onset of the disease. The history of the disease shows that until the invention of the vaccine, it occupied first place among childhood ailments leading to fatal outcome.

Today, whooping cough vaccination is prescribed at 3 months of age. Vaccination helps strengthen the child’s immunity for up to 5 years. Children tolerate the vaccine well, in some cases there is a deterioration in appetite, a rise in temperature and a runny nose. Whooping cough is most dangerous for infants who find it physically difficult to cope with paroxysmal coughing.

Whooping cough is a serious infectious disease transmitted to person from person to person through household and airborne transmission. Adults and children can get sick, and recent illness It is quite difficult and is often accompanied by various complications. In the article you can learn in detail about the symptoms, treatment, prevention of whooping cough in children, and also see a photo of the disease.

The causative agent of the disease

The etiology of whooping cough is damage to the body by certain pathogenic agents. The causative agent of pertussis infection is the pathogenic bacterial microorganism Bordetella. Today, scientists know three types of it. These include:

• Bordetella pertusis or whooping cough bacillus - has a size of 0.2 * 1.2 microns. By its nature, the bacterium is immobile, enclosed in a capsule, and has the shape of a coccobacterium. Mostly this microorganism is single, but paired bacteria are also found. Isolated in Bordet-Gengou medium or potato-glycerin agar. The only carrier is human;
• Bordetella parapertusis is a pertussis-like pathogen that is the causative agent of parapertussis. The size is slightly larger than that of the whooping cough stick. The most suitable development conditions are humidity and temperature within 36 degrees Celsius;
• Bordetella bronchiseptica – provokes bronchopneumonia in animals.

Whooping cough is a highly contagious disease. The pathogen is divided into three subtypes. The first is a severe infection. Second - average severity currents. The third is the mildest course of infectious pathology. An important role is played by the patient’s age, the characteristics of his immune system and some other factors.

Incubation period

The incubation period is the latent course of the disease from the moment the pathogen enters the body until the first symptoms appear in the patient. Like many other pathologies, Whooping cough has an incubation period. Its duration depends on many factors. For example, immunity, concomitant diseases in a child, etc. Typically, incubation lasts from three days to 14 days.

Articles written

Due to the fact that the period under review in children and adults occurs without visible symptoms, it is possible to diagnose whooping cough only at the catarrhal stage. It is accompanied by a cough, increased body temperature and other symptoms. At this stage, the patient acts as a source of infection; people around him can easily become infected.

Development mechanism

Once in the body, Bordetella primarily affects the human respiratory and nervous system. Penetration of the pertussis bacillus occurs through the mucous membranes of the upper tract of the respiratory system.

Cough occurs due to the release of a specific endotoxin, which irritates the respiratory tract. Due to prolonged spasm, obstruction of the pulmonary alveoli develops. Next, the patient experiences symptoms indicating a violation of gas metabolism. This entails emphysema and hypoxia.

The source of whooping cough spread is an infected person. The most contagious patient is considered to be at the initial stage of the pathology. Children aged 1 to 6 years are most often affected. This does not mean that children aged 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 cannot get sick. Whooping cough affects adults and children of all ages.

Unfavorable sanitary and living conditions contribute to the spread of infection. Outbreaks of infection are observed in our country every 2-3 years. It is worth noting that seasonality is unusual for this disease.

Transmission routes

Whooping cough among children and adults spreads quite quickly through airborne droplets. The disease is considered highly contagious. Among the main routes of transmission, the following should be noted:

• One of the main symptoms of the disease is cough. Infectious agents spread through the air through particles of saliva and mucus. Doctors say that in order for infection to occur, the distance between a healthy person and a sick person should not exceed 2.5 meters. If the distance between people is quite large, it is impossible to become infected;
• The greatest chance of contracting whooping cough exists through hugging and kissing a sick person. With such close contact, the saliva of the infected person reaches a healthy person, after which pathogenic bacteria penetrate the respiratory tract and the entire body;
• Often infection occurs through cutlery, for example, if a mother and child eat from the same plate or people drink from the same cup. In addition, the likelihood of contracting whooping cough among children exists if the baby puts into his mouth a toy or other object on which the patient has just sneezed.

In the environment, the pathogen quickly dies, so infection through household items is considered impossible.

Stages of flow

Doctors distinguish several stages of whooping cough in children, each of which is accompanied by its own characteristics and flows into the next.

Stages of the disease:

1. Incubation period. Here clinical symptoms Children are completely free of diseases, but pathogenic microorganisms are already actively multiplying. Sometimes a child may complain of a slight decrease in well-being, which is most often attributed to ordinary fatigue.
2. Catarrhal course. At this stage, symptoms appear in the form of catarrhal manifestations. The disease is often confused with a common cold, and bed rest and treatment with Paracetamol are prescribed. For whooping cough, such therapy is ineffective and after 14 days, whooping cough enters the paroxysmal stage.
3. Paroxysmal stage. Here the child’s well-being deteriorates sharply. Attacks of choking cough occur quite often (every 30-40 minutes). Even strong antibiotics act against the pertussis pathogen with little effectiveness. Relief usually occurs only after 2-3 weeks.
4. The period of reverse development of whooping cough symptoms. With proper treatment, the child's general condition improves. The cough still persists, but the attacks are less frequent. The rash that appears on the face and neck during whooping cough gradually disappears. After the decline acute symptoms treatment is often carried out at home.
5. Recovery stage. Whooping cough negatively affects all organs and systems. Period full recovery in some children it can last up to six months. At this time, the efforts of parents and doctors should be aimed at full recovery immunity of a small patient.

After suffering from whooping cough, children and adults develop stable, lifelong immunity. That is, re-infection becomes impossible. The same effect can be achieved through vaccination.

Common signs of whooping cough in children

After the end of the incubation period, the symptoms of whooping cough in children do not cause much concern on the part of parents, as they are very similar to the common cold. The baby develops nasal discharge, the temperature rises, weakness and chills develop, and the child may have headaches and muscle pain.

Traditional treatment turns out to be ineffective and after a while symptoms typical of whooping cough appear. They appear like this:

• attacks of dry suffocating cough, worsening at night;
• shortness of breath, tachycardia;
• difficulty breathing, wheezing inhalation due to spasm of the larynx (reprise);
• mucus secretion, vomiting;
• a coughing attack is accompanied by bluish facial skin, red eyes, and blood vessels often burst in the eyes;
• breathing may stop for 30-40 seconds;
• The baby chokes when coughing and sticks out his tongue.

Appears on the child's body small rash. The baby becomes restless, loses appetite, and is capricious. If we talk about how long the disease lasts, we can say that on average the total duration of the disease is about 4-6 weeks.

External manifestations of the disease

Attacks of choking cough in children with whooping cough lead to the appearance of symptoms in the form of external changes. Here we should name the following:

• weeping ulcers on the tongue;
• hemorrhages in the eye area and corners of the mouth;
• swelling and redness of the throat;
• wheezing in the lungs on auscultation.

The child becomes lethargic, sleeps poorly, and refuses to eat. Babies cry, act up, and lose weight. The task of doctors and parents during this period is to prevent dehydration of the body and the development of other complications.

Features of the course in young children

It is quite difficult to detect whooping cough in an infant in the initial stages. The incubation period in newborns can last about three weeks. As in older children, whooping cough in babies under one year of age begins with symptoms common cold, occurs in three main stages - catarrhal, paroxysmal and convalescent stage. Most often, infectious pathology in infants under one year of age is diagnosed at the paroxysmal stage, when symptoms appear in the form of attacks of suffocating cough, high body temperature, nosebleeds, and periods of respiratory arrest.

Such symptoms should never be ignored. Parents should take the child to a specialist to prescribe appropriate treatment. With the right therapy acute stage The disease can be overcome after 14 days. In the future, coughing attacks are repeated less frequently. Residual effects can be observed within a month.

Erased course of whooping cough in children after vaccination

It is generally accepted that if a child has had whooping cough or has been vaccinated against this disease, then the risk re-infection kept to a minimum. Even if he gets sick, the course of the infection will be light form. In this case, the symptoms of the disease are similar to the typical course of whooping cough, but are much easier to tolerate. Attacks are shorter in duration and occur less frequently. An unvaccinated child has a very high probability become ill upon contact with a sick person. In addition, there are such atypical forms diseases, both abortive and asymptomatic.

Similar clinical picture observed in parawhooping cough. The disease is more mild and complications occur extremely rarely.

Disease severity

Depending on the severity of the disease in children, the disease can be divided into the following degrees:

• mild course. At the same time, the patient’s general well-being remains within normal limits; symptoms such as vomiting, nosebleeds, and high body temperature are absent. Coughing attacks occur up to 10 times during the day;
• moderate course. There are up to 15 cases of suffocating cough per day, often accompanied by vomiting. In the intervals between attacks, the child’s health is satisfactory;
• severe course. The patient experiences more than 20 seizures per day. Other symptoms include respiratory arrest, nosebleeds, lethargy, loss of appetite, increased body temperature, etc.

After 2-3 weeks, the child’s condition begins to improve, coughing occurs less frequently, and gradual recovery occurs. This outcome is only possible with proper treatment. Without proper therapy, patients often develop complications, which we will discuss later in the article.

Complications

As already mentioned, when proper treatment Disease complications are rare. Severe consequences are observed with severe infectious pathology or with improper therapy. Conventionally, all complications can be divided into several groups:

• main complications. This group includes hyperplasia of the mucous membrane of the larynx, mouth ulcers, rupture of the eardrum, impaired functioning of the vocal cords, hemorrhages in the eye area, disruption of the functioning of internal organs, the heart, various diseases of the ENT organs;
• on the part of the respiratory system, consequences are diagnosed in the form of the formation of epithelial mucous plugs, bronchial diseases, the occurrence of atelectasis, pneumothorax, apnea, prolonged attacks of suffocating cough;
• on the part of the central nervous system in children there is acidosis, insufficient supply of brain cells with oxygen, disruptions in the functioning of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system, seizures, loss of consciousness, cerebral hemorrhages, paresis;
• from the digestive system, symptoms such as hypovitaminosis, stool disorders, nausea, vomiting, and weight loss in the child occur.

In addition, there are nonspecific complications of whooping cough in children that may arise in the future. These include the development of secondary immunodeficiency, frequent colds with severe course, pneumonia, bronchiolitis and other severe manifestations. In particular difficult situations suffers lymphatic system, pleura, diseases of the inner ear are observed.

The most severe complications of whooping cough are observed when the disease is aggravated by measles, rubella, tuberculosis, dysentery and other infectious pathologies.

Consequences of whooping cough during pregnancy

The consequences for the child during pregnancy will depend on the trimester in which the infection occurred. Whooping cough is considered the most dangerous during the first weeks of fetal development, when organ formation occurs. During this period, whooping cough can cause the following developmental defects in a child:

• congenital heart diseases;
• deafness;
• dysfunction of the central nervous system;
• defects of the kidneys and genital organs;
• diseases of the digestive system.

In the second and third trimester, the risk of complications is significantly reduced, but there is another threat. Due to coughing attacks, miscarriage is possible.

In addition, a symptom such as fetal hypoxia develops. When diagnosing a pregnant woman with laboratory confirmation of pertussis infection, early stages a decision may be made to terminate the pregnancy.

Diagnostics

If whooping cough is suspected, the patient is prescribed mandatory testing. A blood test helps confirm or refute the diagnosis. Can be used in laboratory conditions following methods definitions of pertussis infection in the body:

• serological reaction of the body (enzyme immunoassay, agglutination reaction);
• PCR analysis;
• in vitro analysis;
• express method - immunofluorescence.

In addition, the child may be prescribed an X-ray of the lungs, and sometimes bronchoscopy is necessary. In some cases, an allergy skin test is used. It can give a positive answer only in the acute phase of the disease. In this case, the body’s reaction manifests itself in the form of a papule with a diameter of more than one centimeter.

From the general blood test it is noted high level lymphocytes, leukocytes, but the erythrocyte sedimentation rate remains within normal limits.

How to donate blood

Biological material is collected in the morning on an empty stomach from a vein or from a finger. A referral for analysis is given by the attending physician. The night before the test, dinner should be light. The doctor should be informed if the baby has taken any medications before.

Differential diagnosis

For differential diagnosis The child's sputum is taken for analysis. This helps differentiate whooping cough from bronchial asthma, tuberculosis, pneumonia, bronchitis, influenza and some other diseases.

Disease in children in the photo

In the photo you can see what a child looks like during a coughing attack.

The next photo shows broken capillaries in the eyes due to severe coughing.

This photo shows that the baby is literally suffocating during an attack.

When found similar symptoms you should rush to see a doctor.

Basic treatment methods

The question of how to survive whooping cough in children is relevant for many parents. Treatment of pathology in children does not have any specific character. Therapy is aimed at relieving the patient's symptoms and eliminating complications. In severe cases, treatment is carried out in a clinical setting. After the end of the acute phase of whooping cough, therapy can continue at home. The fight against the disease is carried out using medications, physical procedures and traditional methods. Let's look at each type of therapy in more detail.

Use of medications

Drug treatment whooping cough in children is aimed at alleviating the patient’s condition and reducing the symptoms of infectious pathology. The choice of medications should be made exclusively by a specialist, based on the diagnosis, the patient’s well-being and the severity of the disease.

Antihistamines

Due to the fact that during whooping cough a child experiences symptoms such as swelling of the lung tissue and spasm of the larynx, doctors recommend using antihistamines for treatment. Such remedies can eliminate swelling and relieve cough. The list of antiallergic drugs includes drugs such as Laratadine, Citrine, Zodak, Diazolin.

Cough medicines

To treat whooping cough in children, antitussive medications in the form of syrups are used. The drug must contain codeine. As a rule, these are cough medicines that have a central effect. Selecting syrups on your own is strictly prohibited, as this can seriously harm the child. Without a doctor's prescription, you can only use herbal infusions, teas with honey, as well as some other folk recipes, which we will discuss later in the article.

Antibacterial drugs

Whooping cough is a bacteria. Treatment of the disease should be carried out accordingly with the use of antibiotics. The doctor selects medications from a number of macrolides, azithromecins, and cephalosporins. The dosage of the medication depends on the age and weight of the child. The course of treatment is usually 7 days. Even if the cough continues after the end, this is considered normal occurrence.

Expectorants

To clear the respiratory tract of mucus and restore damaged tissues of the respiratory organs, the doctor may prescribe treatment in the form of consuming herbal decoctions. Plantain, wild rosemary, licorice and other plants have an excellent effect. It is not recommended to use decoctions among infants. This therapy may cause a severe allergic reaction.

Inhalations

Inhalations help to cope perfectly with the symptoms of whooping cough in children. Many experts believe that this is the safest treatment method. This procedure is allowed from an early age.

It is worth remembering that hot steam inhalations are a method that is a thing of the past. It was replaced by the use of a nebulizer. With this device, inhalation treatment can be carried out even among infants.

Using a nebulizer

A nebulizer is a special device that has the ability to convert medicine into small particles. In this form, through the nozzles, the drug enters directly into the lungs, penetrating into the most distant branches of the bronchi. Conventional steam inhalations do not give such an effect. In addition, the advantage of using a nebulizer is that injuries in the form of burns are excluded during the procedure.

Preparations for inhalation

As we have already found out, the main symptom of whooping cough in children is a suffocating cough, which has a paroxysmal nature. Treatment of the disease can be carried out using a nebulizer, using the following groups of drugs:

• antibiotics – Klacid, Azithromycin, Sumamed, Ceftriaxone;
• corticosteroids (used rarely and only as prescribed by a doctor);
• antitussives – Sinekod;
• medications to expand the lumen of the bronchi and eliminate spasms - Berodual;
• mucolytics – Lazolvan, Ambro-Hexal.

Inhalations with mineral waters. They help soften the tissues of the respiratory tract and reduce swelling. Often, during treatment, the doctor prescribes the use of Borjomi and Narzan water for children. Regular sodium chloride is often used for inhalation.

Parents should remember that no matter what knowledge they have in the field of whooping cough treatment, only a doctor should select medications. Self-medication can be extremely dangerous to health.

Physiotherapy

During whooping cough, severe coughing attacks occur oxygen starvation brain tissue and the entire body as a whole. The child may be referred for treatment through physical therapy. Here the following methods are used to relieve symptoms:

• oxygen therapy;
• use of nootropic drugs;
• use of hormonal therapy.

During treatment, the patient wears a special mask through which they enter the body. medicines. A special oxygen tent can be used for infants. Besides, good effect has chest massage and breathing exercises. Often these procedures are performed in a hospital setting under the close supervision of a physician and proper nursing care.

Treatment tactics for whooping cough in newborns

What to do if a baby gets sick in the first months of life? When infants are infected, treatment is usually carried out in a hospital setting. It is important to recognize the symptoms of the disease in a timely manner, since it is especially difficult for newborns to tolerate it. In this case, the treatment tactics are as follows:

• using an oxygen mask;
• removing accumulated mucus from the bronchi to prevent vomiting and vomit from entering the lungs;
• the use of homeopathic medicines and tranquilizers to suppress the cough reflex;
• preventing symptoms such as laryngospasm and bronchospasm with bronchodilators;
• elimination of the gag reflex with the help of antiemetic medications;
• use of hormonal agents;
• antibiotic treatment;
• maintaining the water-salt balance of the body.

It is necessary to treat whooping cough in infants under the strict supervision of medical personnel. If you do not go to the hospital in a timely manner, the baby may die.

Traditional methods of therapy

It is unlikely that it will be possible to cure whooping cough in a child using folk remedies alone. The disease is considered quite serious, so traditional therapy can only act as an auxiliary treatment as prescribed by a doctor.

Let's look at a few popular recipes:

• Peel the head of garlic, chop it, pour a glass of boiling water. Simmer the product over low heat for at least half an hour. After this, strain the medicine and give the child a teaspoon before meals three times a day. This product will not cause harm children's body;
• mix anise in equal proportions, pine buds, licorice and knotweed. Pour 250 ml of boiling water over a tablespoon of the resulting mixture and leave to steep for an hour. Strain the finished drink, give the baby a tablespoon before each meal, but no more than four times a day;
• To prepare the next medicine you will need a large onion. It needs to be crushed, pour a glass of milk. The product should be simmered over low heat for at least 40 minutes. After this, the broth is filtered and a little honey is added. It is recommended to give the medicine to children from three years old 2-3 times a day;
• Treatment with black radish helps to reduce cough symptoms in children. To do this, the vegetable needs to be washed, peeled, and cut into small cubes. The product is sprinkled with sugar and placed in the oven at 150 degrees for 15-20 minutes. The radish will release juice, which should be given to the child a teaspoon three times a day.

Any folk remedy can cause an allergic reaction. Before using this or that medicine, you should determine whether you have an allergy and consult your doctor.

Prevention and vaccination

Prevention of whooping cough in children involves the procedure of artificially developing immunity to infectious pathology, that is, vaccination. DTP is an adsorbed pertussis-diphtheria-tetanus vaccine that contains dead pertussis bacteria. Vaccination helps develop immunity, which protects the child from infection in the future. Even if infection occurs, as mentioned earlier, the patient will tolerate the pathology much easier.

At what age is vaccination carried out?

The first DPT is administered at three months. After that, twice more with an interval of 45 days. Revaccination is carried out at the age of 18 months, then at 6 years and 14 years. If for some reason vaccination was not carried out, vaccination can be given at 16, 17, 18 years of age. After this, it is recommended to repeat the vaccination once every 10 years. Many parents on forums leave a lot of negative reviews about vaccination. Despite this, you cannot refuse vaccination, because this is the only reliable method of protecting yourself from this terrible disease.

Other preventative measures

In addition to vaccination, the following help prevent whooping cough epidemics: preventive actions:

• timely identification of patients;
• if an infected person is found in a school or kindergarten, the group is quarantined;
• patients who have had contact with infected people are allowed into the team only with laboratory confirmation of the absence of whooping cough;
• Children under six months of age, as well as members of closed lyceums and orphanages, are required to be hospitalized;
• Children under one year of age, as well as patients with weakened immune systems, are administered anti-pertussis immunoglobulin.

It is worth noting that emergency vaccination of children and adults in the outbreak area is not carried out.

Video

The famous pediatrician Evgeny Olegovich Komarovsky talks in detail about the symptoms, treatment and prevention of whooping cough in children.

Whooping cough – bacterial disease, affecting both children and adults. Penetration of infection into the respiratory tract causes severe paroxysmal cough, causing vomiting. It poses a serious danger due to complications that can lead to death. Knowing the characteristics of the course of the disease will help to detect signs of whooping cough in a child at an early stage and take timely measures.

What is whooping cough

The causative agent of the disease is Bordetella pertussis, a pertussis bacillus that secretes a special toxin that has an irritating effect on the mucous membrane of the larynx and bronchi. The result is a barking, convulsive cough. It persists for several weeks after all pathogenic bacteria have died. The pathogen can only be identified using a special analysis. Interestingly, antibodies remain in the body of a person who has recovered from the disease for another 5 years. Even vaccination cannot completely protect against infection. However, a vaccinated person, when faced with an infection, tolerates the disease much easier, with minimal risk for life.

Warning! Considering the lack of immunity to this disease, it is necessary to protect children from contact with adults who have persistent for a long time cough.

How does infection occur?

The main route of transmission of infection is airborne droplets. Infection occurs through direct contact with a patient or a carrier of bacteria. When a person coughs, he can spread the pertussis bacillus over a distance of up to 2.5 m. The disease most often affects children preschool age. The highest risk group is children under 2 years of age. Whooping cough is especially difficult for infants. In the absence of vaccination, the mortality rate at this age reaches 60% of the number of cases. Have a detrimental effect on pathogenic bacteria Sun rays. Therefore, outbreaks of the disease occur in the autumn-winter time, when the length of daylight hours is reduced.

The first signs of whooping cough

The incubation period lasts from one to three weeks. At the onset of the disease, the symptoms of whooping cough in children are very similar to a cold. Unsuspecting parents may take a child who is a carrier of the infection to kindergarten, where other children become infected with the virus. You can recognize the disease in time only by knowing how the first signs appear.

These include:

• General weakness.
• Headache and muscle pain.
• Minor runny nose.
• Increased body temperature.
• Cardiopalmus.
• Loss of appetite.

Gradually to listed symptoms A dry, paroxysmal cough develops, against which antitussives do not help. His attacks are becoming more frequent and each time they manifest themselves more intensely. They are especially disturbing at night, interfering with sleep and sometimes causing hypoxia. Up to 45 attacks occur per day, each lasting 4–5 minutes. Sometimes they end in vomiting. After an attack, the child complains of pain in the abdomen and chest. Cough poses the greatest danger to children in the first months of life. Severe attacks can cause suffocation, even stopping breathing, and lead to hemorrhage on the mucous membranes.

Important! During illness, infants need to be in medical institution under the supervision of a doctor.

Whooping cough in children is characterized by a slight increase in temperature. It rises to 38⁰С in in rare cases. By this sign, the disease can be distinguished from pneumonia or bronchitis.

Symptoms of disease development

There are 3 stages of whooping cough in children, the symptoms and treatment of each have their own differences:

Hypoxia, which develops in severe cases of the disease, can lead to disruption of the blood supply to the brain and heart muscle. This threatens with serious consequences, including diseases of the nervous system and developmental delays.

Diagnostics

The disease occurs in mild form, is difficult to determine based on visual inspection. The following signs of how whooping cough manifests itself in children are suspicious:

• A prolonged cough that does not stop after symptoms such as runny nose and fever have disappeared.
• The state of health does not improve after taking cough suppressants.
• During the intervals between attacks, the child feels normal.

Accurate identification of a disease such as whooping cough in children is carried out using special studies. General analysis blood helps to identify an increase in the number of leukocytes and lymphocytes characteristic of the disease. A blood test is performed for the presence of antibodies, and a bacteriological culture of a smear from the throat mucosa is performed. The last method is not always reliable. Bacteria have the ability to be firmly held by the epithelium. If a child has eaten before collecting biomaterial, even if a pathogen is present, it is unlikely to be detected in the sample.

General principles of treatment

A sick child is usually at home. However, there are situations when hospitalization is required. Treatment of whooping cough in children in a hospital is necessary for health reasons:

• Children under 6 months of age.
• In case of complicated whooping cough.
• When there are concomitant diseases.
• For weakened children.

During the illness, the child should be protected from other children to prevent the spread of infection.

The baby should not lie down during attacks. It definitely needs to be planted. The air in the room should be cool and humid. At severe cough You can do inhalations with a nebulizer. You need to feed your baby in small portions, but often. The situation should be calm - nervous tension, excitement, stress provoke an increase in coughing attacks.

The task of parents is to ensure the necessary humidity and air temperature in the room during treatment at home. If the weather is good, it is recommended to spend more time fresh air. A child needs positive emotions for successful treatment. Any new toy or watching an interesting TV show can bring joy.

Drug therapy

Among the medications used in the treatment of whooping cough are antitussives and expectorants, antibiotics, probiotics, vitamins and antihistamines. All prescriptions are made only by the attending physician.

Antibiotics are used at the very first stage of the disease; in subsequent stages, when a paroxysmal cough is already observed, they are ineffective. It is recommended to take them for preventive purposes when someone in the house gets whooping cough. This allows you to cope with the pathogenic microorganism before a cough appears.

The course of antibacterial therapy includes the drug Cevtriaxone in the form of intramuscular injections, syrups based on 3rd generation Cephalosporins, Azithromycin, Amoxicillin. The duration of their use is from 5 to 10 days.

Ambroxol, Lazolvan, Bromhexine help to facilitate the discharge of sputum. Eufillin and calcium gluconate relieve spasms in the respiratory system. As sedative It is recommended to take an infusion of valerian or motherwort. Hormonal drugs can prevent respiratory arrest.

Folk remedies

It is necessary to be treated with traditional medicine recipes under the supervision of a doctor and only as a supplement to the main therapy. Relieve unpleasant symptoms In children, the following remedies help speed up the healing process:

• Warm milk with added butter and honey. Drink at night.
• Rubbing the chest badger fat – effective method improving microcirculation in the bronchi.
• A decoction of plantain and linden helps to quickly get rid of toxins.
• Melt a spoonful of granulated sugar in a frying pan until Brown, pour in 0.5 cups of boiling water and stir until completely dissolved. Drink a teaspoon before bedtime.
• Mix garlic juice and visceral fat in equal parts, rub into the chest area.
• Garlic with thyme (50 and 20 g, respectively). Pour the ingredients with water and, closing the lid, cook for several minutes over low heat, cool, strain, add 300 g of honey.
• Boil one potato and an apple in a liter of water. Give the resulting decoction a teaspoon 3 times a day.

One of effective means to help cope with annoying cough, is onion syrup. Finely chop the onion, put half of it in a glass liter jar, cover with granulated sugar (4 tablespoons), close with a lid and leave for 3 hours. Give the child a teaspoon of the resulting juice every hour.

A compress of honey and chopped garlic has a good effect against whooping cough. Mix both products, taken in equal parts, heat slightly and apply the resulting mass to the chest area. Cover the top with film and wrap with a warm scarf. Leave the compress overnight.

Possible complications

The consequences of whooping cough are far from harmless. Complications that occur after an illness may include pneumonia, bronchitis, or laryngitis. Narrowing of the lumen of the respiratory passages and swelling of the larynx cause death.

Stress caused severe attacks cough, often leads to the formation umbilical hernia, nosebleeds. In some cases, cerebral hemorrhage and damage to the eardrums are possible.

Whooping cough causes damage to individual centers, after which attacks of epilepsy and convulsions occur. Oxygen therapy helps prevent the development of complications, artificial ventilation lungs.

Prevention

The main preventive measure against whooping cough is vaccination. Only with its help can you reduce the risk of infection and severe complications. Modern vaccines practically safe for healthy child. In rare cases, there is a slight fever and soreness at the vaccination site.

Considering high probability infection, in the event of illness of one of the children in a children's institution, it is necessary to conduct an examination and take preventive measures for everyone who came into contact with the patient. Antibiotics that have a detrimental effect on bacteria and injections of gamma globulin, which can stimulate the production of antibodies, come to the rescue.

Infants are particularly susceptible to the disease, so if possible, you should limit your visits to crowded places with your baby as much as possible.

Video