What Is Whooping Cough?
6. Main Coughing Stage
After a week or two, the main coughing stage will begin. This is known technically as the paroxysmal phase. At this point, the cough will begin to get noticeably worse. In addition, the patient will begin to have fits of intense coughing that last up to several minutes. This is known technically as paroxysms. During the coughing fits, the patient will be consistently coughing with little to no respite.
It is at this point when the condition takes on its characteristic “whooping” sound from which it gets its name. This sound is made as the patient breathes in hard to get oxygen in between coughs, while the airway is still partially closed. The whooping sounds will only happen in around 50%. Importantly, in infants, the whooping sound is not usually present.
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