This was a big year for coughs. And a big year for big coughs, muscle-straining, sleep-robbing, gagging, back-twisting coughs that went on and on for weeks.

Studies suggest that much of what makes adults cough through the winter season is pertussis or whooping cough, the so-called childhood disease that's not just for children anymore. We now know that the final booster shot administered to teens against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis is not a lifelong boost against this disease that causes the cough from hell.

The next time you get a tetanus shot, sign up for the new version that includes protection against pertussis. If you're not so sure whether or not you want to get a shot against a disease that may well rob you of weeks of peaceful sleep and quiet work-days, consider this from Richard Irwin, MD of the University of Massachusetts Medical School:

While kids could die from pertussis, adults feel like they're going to die.

For more info, check out Adacel.