What you may notice
Symptoms can overlap with other conditions and vary between people.
- Repeated coughing fits
- Vomiting after coughing
- A whooping sound
- Breathing pauses in infants
Understanding care
Clinical care may include prompt assessment, infection management and review of contacts and vaccination. A qualified clinician decides which investigations and options fit the individual situation.
When to seek help
Contact a clinician promptly for suspected pertussis, especially in an infant. Breathing pauses, blue color or severe breathing difficulty requires emergency services immediately.
For severe breathing difficulty, collapse, suspected stroke, or another emergency, call local emergency services immediately. In India, call 112.
Read the medical sources
These sources support the educational article and offer more detail.
Prepared from the linked sources. This summary has not had an independent clinician review. A qualified clinician can assess symptoms and explain which information applies to you.
