Can you Get Whooping Cough More than Once?

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What is whooping cough? Most of us have already heard of these two words, but only a few can actually lay out the details about this disease. Whooping cough, which is also medically known as pertussis, is a type of respiratory infection that is caused by a bacterium called as Bordatella pertussis. Once this causative agent attacks our system, it can cause us severe coughing that could even last for months. In addition to these, whooping cough is also considered to be contagious, which is why many individuals have already experienced this dreadful disease. This made a lot of us ask the question; can you get whooping cough more than once?

YES. We should all be aware that whooping cough does have a very different pathogenesis in comparison to other types of infection. Most people would usually relate whooping cough with chicken pox; however, the latter is quite different since it is chiefly caused by a virus and unlike whooping cough, obtaining chicken pox for the second time is quite impossible. Pertussis is caused by a bacterium, which can very well attack the body for the second, third or even fourth time unless the system is unable to produce antibodies to combat this causative agent. In addition to these, most microorganisms and bacteria can also mutate in genetic make-up, making it a lot tougher for the body for them to be recognized. Once this occurs, the effects in the system could be a lot worse than the first time around. This is why proper treatment must be given including the right antibiotics in order to help the body fight off these bacteria. An increase in the vitamin intake is also proven to be effective in order to boost the immune system.

What are the ways to prevent whooping cough from attacking the body again? As most of us already know, prevention is always better and a lot easier than cure. This proves that getting vaccinated is the best way to prevent the bacteria from invading our system. Most of these vaccines are given to us when we were still infants. The particular vaccine against whooping cough is DPT, which stands for Diphtheria, Pertussis, and Tetanus. Once this type of diseases is neglected, it could actually worsen in the form of pneumonia, which can be very critical among the very young and the very old. Nevertheless, if proper care and immediate action is given, recovery from whooping cough is easy to achieve without any problems. Whooping cough is a scary and dangerous illness.

What are the symptoms of whooping cough? The severity of the symptoms usually varies in age. Adults do have lesser or milder reactions compared to children affected with pertussis. However, the symptoms of whooping cough, usually follows 2 stages. The first is said to be quite milder since it basically resembles more like a flu, which can last for 2 weeks. However, the second stage can already become severe with the presence of hacking cough and the whooping sound that follows a bout of coughs during inspiration. Some children may also develop vomiting and fatigue. This stage usually last for more or less a month. These are just some of the important facts about pertussis or whooping cough.