17 Reasons For Prolonged Cough

13. Pertussis

Pertussis, which is commonly known as whooping cough, is a type of respiratory disease caused by bacterial infection, and is highly contagious. It is characterized by violent coughing that is hard to control and causes difficulty in breathing. The whooping sounds come from the deep breaths that a patient with pertussis tends to take after a bout of coughing. If your persistent cough sounds something like this, better get it checked immediately. Pertussis could be a serious illness, but can it be prevented by getting a vaccine.