Whooping Cough Symptoms: Stage 3
During this stage,
whooping cough symptoms may gradually improve, often disappearing within 2 to 3 weeks. However, fits of coughing often return with other respiratory infections for many months after the whooping cough symptoms improve.
Whooping Cough Symptoms in Adults
Adolescents and adults have accounted for more than half of reported cases of whooping cough in recent years.
Adults and adolescents with pertussis (and those partially protected by the
pertussis vaccine) can become infected but often have milder whooping cough symptoms. In some cases, they may have no symptoms at all. Even though the disease may be milder in older people, those who are infected may transmit the disease to other susceptible people, including unimmunized or underimmunized infants. Older people are often found to have the first case in a household with multiple cases of whooping cough.
Whooping Cough Symptoms: Summary
Not everyone with possible whooping cough symptoms actually has the illness. A number of other common conditions -- such as the
common cold, flu, and bronchitis -- can cause similar symptoms, especially early in the disease. Anyone with possible whooping cough symptoms should see their doctor so that the problem can be diagnosed and treated.
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