Have you ever heard of pertussis? 

Commonly, it is called as “whooping cough” which is proven to be dangerous and lethal since it is not just a cough, there is an infectious disease inside the body which caused this kind of illness. The bad thing about pertussis is that it can easily infect babies and children and the people who have really low immunity when it comes to cough. And the fact that it is contagious is evident that this kind of diseases is rising and becomes more common. 

The infection that pertussis brings is so severe that it even if the baby will be completely cured after an infection, it will leave the lungs and other respiratory tissues almost damaged. It is true that the disease can be treated with medications but the effects will be left in the body. Infants who have experienced such infection will be, more likely, able to develop asthma or even severe lifetime respiratory problems. 

As mentioned earlier, babies are the most common victims of this illness because they have weaker immune system than adults do. The fact is, it is not only the respiratory system which can be destroyed by the severe infection caused by pertussis but also the immune system. Some infants cannot be able to cope and their immune system will become weak throughout their lives leaving them prone to sickness when they grow up.  

Aside from that, those who have pertussis will also develop pneumonia along the process of treating the sickness. Pneumonia is just another repercussion of the infection because the parenchymal tissue will inflame. Thus, it will complicate things which would oftentimes lead to death if not treated within 48 hours. More often than not, doctors can easily diagnose pneumonia as the cause of death without discovering the underlying cause. 

As a parent, what can you do to avoid pertussis? 

There are actually vaccines for this kind of diseases, so as soon as possible have your baby vaccinated against it. It pays to be a step advance than regret in the future. Also, always keep the things of your baby clean as well as the environment to drive the contagious virus away. There are so many things you can do than to simply wait for the disease to come and regret.

Pertussis may be one of the sicknesses which is often overlooked and taken for granted especially that the term itself is not that common. However, should your baby starts to cough; you may need to take necessary action immediately to know what caused the cough to show up. It could be pertussis!

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