Pertussis treatment

How Is Pertussis Treated? Treatment for pertussis is easily available and highly encouraged. If started early, it can help reduce severity, duration and the risk of complications, particularly in infants. So, once a diagnosis is made or suspected exposure has been determined, you should start on antibiotics immediately. Several antibiotics are available to treat pertussis. The most popular are azithromycin, clarithromycin and erythromycin. If you have had pertussis for three weeks or more, antibiotics will not be prescribed because the bacteria are already gone from your body. At this point, your symptoms will slowly improve on their own, but your doctor will want to address any other damage done to your body while you were sick. Supportive care, such as plenty of rest and fluids, can ease symptoms. Eating small, frequent meals can help prevent vomiting. It may also be helpful to rid your home of any irritants that could trigger coughing, such as smoke, dust and chemical fumes. Unfortunately, not much can be done for the cough, as over-the-counter cough medicine is ineffective, and its use is strongly discouraged. In severe cases, hospitalization may be needed to treat complications. Infants are at the greatest risk of developing severe complications with about half of babies under one year needing to be hospitalized. Pertussis, or whooping cough, is a serious respiratory illness. National Medical Spokesperson for the American Lung Association Dr. Panagis Galiatsatos highl...