Whooping Cough

 Written by: Muhammad Nasir Serat

Some diseases, especially viral types, increase in winter. One of these diseases is whooping cough in children.

AEPO’s writer/producer has talked to some parents and a physician about this disease.

Robena, a resident of Parwan province says: “my small brother has a persistent cough with fever, water runs from his nose and he's complaining of throat sore and he could not properly eat foods.

Hasina says: “My brother has infected with the virus of whooping cough. He is suffering from high fever and he is crying during the night.”

Doctor Muhammad Arif Hasanzai, a pediatrician in Indra Gandhi Child Health Care Hospital, Kabul city say: “Early symptoms of whooping coughing are a runny nose, cough and mild fever, followed by a persistent cough, and shortness of breath. The children infected with whooping cough virus have difficulty in their voices, have persistent coughs during the days and nights, water comes out of their mouths and sometimes they vomit. Vomiting is a key symptom of whooping cough. Children who are suffering from fever are usually weakened due to coughing and after a few weeks, they would be very weak. If the parents do not pay attention to them, the prolongation of the disease is dangerous and might cause serious problems and possible death.”

What are the causes of whooping cough?

Marwa, a resident of Kapisa province says: “a whooping cough is caused by cold weather. If a child goes out from a warm room to an open-air or if he/she sleeps without a blanket, he/she might face whooping cough.”

Rahimullah, a resident of Qarabagh district, Kabul province says: “not applying the vaccine during childhood, might cause whooping cough.”

Doctor Hasanzai says: “whooping cough is a microbial disease and its cause is a type of germs, and it’s a contagious disease which transfers from the sick person to a healthy one by breathing, food, dishes, coughing particles that pass through the air from a sick child to a healthy child. Cold weather, using cold drinks or cold liquids in cold weather, taking children from the warm room into a cold weather, not feeding them properly, and so on”.

How do people treat whooping cough at homes?

Khojasta, a resident of Shakardara district, Kabul province says: “my niece is suffering from whooping cough. We are boiling marshmallow and gives the water of it to her and she is better now.”

Rahimullah says that when his children suffer from whooping cough, he gives them soup and other warm liquid and they get their health back.

Doctor Hasanzai says: “the parent should separate the living room of the sick child from the others. warm liquids, good nutrition, warm soup, low calories foods, and milk are better for sick children. The room should be kept warm, if it is possible, let the sick child sit about 20 minutes in a steam bath but those children who suffer from whooping cough, must be treated by a physician."