This is the WORST cold I ever had!

[DocHeb]

THANK YOU!, I never thought of whooping cough, Went in for a chest xray the other day, but it sounds like a mucus check would be advisable.

The tests for pertussis are a little difficult to do and take a while for results. A simple stain of sputum/mucous won't help. The actual Bordetella Pertussis germ is a bit difficult to grow. Some places are using DNA testing, but not many labs do this. If the cough is over two weeks (+/-) a lot of physicians will treat with a medicine like erythromycin or azithromycin just to cover the possibility.

There are booster vaccinations designed for adults that can help protect against adult pertussis (adult whooping cough). I got mine last year. Very helpful if you are around a lot of kids, or if there are people with decreased immune systems living with you (you don't want to bring it home to them.)

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