Have you been suffering from a persistent cough? With winter upon us, respiratory illnesses are more common than ever. How do you determine what is causing you to cough and when should you seek medical care for your symptoms? Learn about common causes of a cough. If you’re experiencing a persistent cough, visit AFC Urgent Care Centennial for illness diagnosis and treatment available seven days a week with no appointment needed.
Causes & Symptoms of Whooping Cough
Coughing can be caused by a variety of different illness-related or environmental-related causes. This can make it difficult to diagnose and determine whether you should seek medical treatment for your cough. Although cough may not always require medical treatment, it is important to understand the early symptoms of whooping cough because it is a serious respiratory infection that requires medical care for treatment.
Whooping cough is caused by a bacterial infection and it is severely contagious. Whooping cough is often recognizable due to the distinct dry cough that is said to create a ‘whoop’ sound. Whooping cough is severely contagious and is spread through airborne particles released by infected individuals when they cough, sneeze, talk, or breathe.
Symptoms of whooping cough include:
- Fever
- Sneezing
- Congestion
- Runny nose
- Uncontrollable coughing
- Vomiting following coughing
- Difficulty breathing
Can Whooping Cough Affect Adults?
Whooping cough is extremely contagious. It can infect anyone, however, most commonly affects young children. The number of cases has significantly declined over time due to the introduction of the vaccine. Children under the age of 7 are commonly vaccinated against whooping cough and other diseases with the DTaP vaccine before attending school. Young children are most commonly infected by whooping cough before they are old enough to receive the vaccine.
Adults must receive a booster after 10 years to have continued protection from the DTaP vaccine. A lack of booster vaccinations in recent years has led to an increase in whooping cough cases among adults. Whooping cough can cause severe illness for both adults and children, especially for the elderly, young children, and those with underlying health conditions or weakened immune systems.
Cough Treatment Available In Centennial, CO
Coughing can occur due to a variety of different conditions. In some cases, a cough may not indicate an infection and instead may be caused by environmental irritants such as allergens. Whooping cough can cause severe illness in healthy adults and children. It is essential to understand the symptoms of whooping cough to identify when to seek medical diagnosis and treatment.
Bacterial infections like whooping cough require prescription antibiotics to clear the infection. This requires a formal medical diagnosis using diagnostic testing and in some cases digital X-rays of the lungs to check for signs of infection. Your healthcare provider will conduct an in-depth evaluation of your symptoms and perform the necessary tests to determine whether your cough is caused by whooping cough. Early diagnosis and treatment can help reduce the risk of severe illness from developing and help clear the infection quickly.
Visit AFC Urgent Care Centennial for Same-Day Illness Care in Centennial, CO
If you’re experiencing an intense dry cough, you may have contracted whooping cough. Seeking early diagnosis and treatment can help ensure you recover quickly without spreading your illness to others. At AFC Urgent Care Centennial, our medical providers are available 7 days a week for illness diagnosis and treatment - all without an appointment. Simply walk into our clinic or schedule an appointment online.
Our facility is state-of-the-art and equipped with a laboratory and digital X-ray suite on-site for fast and accurate diagnoses with no referral or secondary appointment needed. Our medical staff is board-certified and trained to identify and treat a variety of common illnesses, including whooping cough in both adults and children. Early symptom diagnosis can greatly reduce your risk of developing severe illness. Visit our walk-in clinic today for fast medical diagnosis and treatment when it’s convenient for you.
