How is whooping cough diagnosed? Your health care provider may use many tools to diagnose whooping cough : A medical history, which includes asking about your symptoms A physical exam A lab test which involves taking a sample of mucus from the back of the throat through the nose. This may be done with a swab or syringe filled with saline. The sample is tested for the bacteria that causes whooping cough. Blood test Chest x-ray What are the treatments for whooping cough?
Whooping cough can sometimes be very serious and require treatment in the hospital. Can whooping cough be prevented? You may also help prevent the spread of whooping cough and other respiratory diseases by Washing your hands often with soap and water. You can use an alcohol-based hand rub if soap and water are not available. Avoiding touching your face with unwashed hands Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces that you frequently touch, including toys Covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue or upper shirt sleeve, not hands Staying home when sick Avoiding close contact with people who are sick Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Start Here. Diagnosis and Tests. Prevention and Risk Factors. Treatments and Therapies. Related Issues. Videos and Tutorials. Statistics and Research. Clinical Trials. If you're pregnant you should also have the whooping cough vaccine — ideally between 16 and 32 weeks. Read more about the whooping cough vaccination in pregnancy. Page last reviewed: 13 November Next review due: 13 November Whooping cough.
Check if you or your child has whooping cough The first signs of whooping cough are like a cold. The cough is actually the body's way of trying to clear the airways. Due to potential side effects, cough medicines are never recommended for children under age 6. During recovery, let your child rest in bed and use a cool-mist vaporizer to help soothe irritated lungs and breathing passages.
Be sure to follow directions for keeping it clean and mold-free. And keep your home free of irritants that can trigger coughing spells, such as aerosol sprays; tobacco smoke; and smoke from cooking, fireplaces, and wood-burning stoves. Kids with whooping cough may vomit or not eat or drink much because of the coughing. So offer smaller, more frequent meals and encourage your child to drink lots of fluids.
Watch for signs of dehydration, including thirst, irritability, restlessness, lethargy, sunken eyes, a dry mouth and tongue, dry skin, crying without tears, and fewer trips to the bathroom to pee or in infants, fewer wet diapers.
Call the doctor if you think that your child has whooping cough or has been exposed to someone with whooping cough, even if your child has already had all scheduled pertussis immunizations. If your child has been diagnosed with whooping cough and is being treated at home, get immediate medical care if he or she develops difficulty breathing or shows signs of dehydration.
Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. P Contagiousness Pertussis is highly contagious. Prevention Whooping cough can be prevented with the pertussis vaccine , which is part of the DTaP diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis immunization.
Incubation The incubation period the time between infection and the start of symptoms for whooping cough is usually 7 to 10 days, but can be as long as 21 days. P Duration Pertussis usually causes prolonged symptoms — 1 to 2 weeks of common cold symptoms, followed by up to 3 months of severe coughing.
Treatment Call the doctor if you suspect that your child has whooping cough. P Home Care If your child is being treated for pertussis at home, follow the schedule for giving antibiotics exactly as your doctor prescribed.
Fast Facts. Surveillance and Reporting. Postexposure Antimicrobial Prophylaxis. Pertussis in Other Countries. Links with this icon indicate that you are leaving the CDC website. Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website.
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