November 15 | Medical Watch | WGNTV.com | WGN TV

November 15

"Super" Cold; New use for Viagra; Delaying Puberty

In Medical Watch -- puberty can be delayed for girls. Also, a new use for viagra: to help people breathe better. And a bad cold just got worse.

Super Cold
A mutated version of the common cold virus has killed 10 people and sickened more than 140 others. The centers for disease control issues a warning about an adenovirus striking in new york, oregon, washington and texas. The new respiratory bug is infecting otherwise healthy people health experts urge anyone who has very high fever or trouble breathing with a cold to seek medical attention immediately.

Viagra Lungs
Breathing may be easier with a little blue pill. University of California San Dego researchers found viagra opens airways for people with lung disease. Researchers found viagra can help people not only breathe better but live longer with pulmonary arterial hypertension. The high blood pressure in the lungs resembles asthma but progresses over time. Viagra improved blood flow in the lungs of study participants by 20 percent.

Puberty
Going through puberty can affect a teenage girl's mood, but her mother's mood may put off puberty. Moms who are less depressed and more supportive have daughters with delayed development. A study out of the University of Arizona finds children in homes with little conflict experience the first hormonal changes of puberty later than other children. Preventing early puberty can help offset mood disorders and even certain female cancers, and it turns out parenting may be the key.