At least there is no harm to introducing alternatives to her. Specialy
as you mention her missing the physical activity - exercises of Strelnikova
_IS_ a physical activity (equivalent to half-hour walking) and is clinicaly
shown to show improvement of asthma conditions (and definetely no agravation, as opposite
to other kinds of physical activities).
  So, this is definetely a physical activity she can immediately start to
practice, regardless to her decision to pressure doctor for asthma diagnose
or not.

Regards,
Evgenij

It is clear she has some kind of lung sensitivity -- at least twice in
recent years being exposed to just a whif of incense almost had her
paralyzed.  (I wonder if there are any true asthmatics left in Russia?
Those Russian Orthodox services would probably have killed them off a long
time ago!)  Somehow I don't think breathing exercises are going to deal with
that.  I also am very skeptical of something that seems to claim it is a
cure for almost anything -- I looked at the Strelnikova website, as well as
for any commentary -- if it is as valuable as you claim it is you'd think
people would be praising it all over the place;  they aren't.  Sorry, but
I'm extremely skeptical and it doesn't seem worth the mental energy, much
less the physical time and effort, to consider seriously.

George

You are presuming that having asthma is shameful; it is not.  You seem to
insist on stigmatizing it.

I am not a doctor, but I expect any doctor with whom I consult to be honest
with me about my condition, the treatment options that are available, and
their associated risks.  Honesty is not necessarily insensitivity, but a
doctor's withholding such vital information as someone's having asthma is at
the very least, unethical.

You have taken it upon yourself to diagnose someone by remote control, via
the internet, and have decided that your "patient" needs a treatment to
which you seem predisposed--breathing exercises.  This pronouncement is made
in a vacuum, without the benefit of examination--just a brief description in
a usenet posting.  Why not let a doctor who has examined her decide what is
needed?

Fortunately, the original poster is logical and analytical enough to have
dismissed the perfunctory approach that you have offered.

That's good news.  Post-nasal drip can really stir up the lungs.  We've had
a wet spring in our area as well, and the air is loaded with mold
spores--not good for asthma...

I guess that any of us (asthma or not) who are carrying a few extra pounds
would serve our respiratory and circulatory systems well by dropping our
weight   :-)

I have had the recurrent bronchitis for 10+ years.  I have always been
healthy and did not go to doctors.  Just no need to.
As I got older (42 now) it got harder to overcome the bronchitis.  I have
coughed for 4 months at a time.  I used over the counter
cough medicine but the side effects of being sleepy and draggy interfered
with work.  I would usually start with a head or
chest cold and then when that was over in a few days it led to an upper
respiratory infection and sometimes laryngitis.
I'm not a doctor but I knew what was happening.  The progression was very
predictable.  Finally, two years ago I gave up
when I had a worse than usual bout.  The doctor said rhynitis, bronchitis
and laryngitis.  He gave me steroid and antibiotic shots
oral antibiotics and cough medicine with hydrocodone.  That helped for a few
days.  In two weeks I was worse again.  When
I called for another doctor's appointment, the doctor I had seen was out of
town.  On such short notice, I could only see a Nurse
Practitioner.  I have been seeing her since.  Last year, I took 6 rounds of
antibiotics.  I do not like the idea of taking so much.
For the last three months, she has had me on Advair, Singulair, Nasacort and
Allegra.  I use Albuteral when needed, usually when
exercising .  I had never been diagnosed with ashtma, but like I said I have
never been one to frequent the doctors.  Even as a child,
I was extremely short of breath.  Did not play sports.  I don't think I
could have.  I can walk a great deal, but running is out of the question.
My PFT was normal and even when I have a severe case of bronchitis, my O2
level is good.  The doctor says it is probably asthma
and maybe COPD.  I know they are closely related.  I'm still not completely
convinced.  The doctor can't believe I have never smoked.
It seems they are always trying to make a diagnosis based on family history.
I can live with the wheezing and shortness of breath.  I would
like to find a way to avoid the bronchitis.  I am hoping the medicines will
do that.  I am really curious as to the meaning of the normal
PFT.  I haven't really got a satisfactory answer from the doctor about that.
Maybe she thinks I'm a hypochondriac.  She really listens
though and seems to have the patience to find a solution.  I am not
self-conscious as you say your wife is about being labeled.  I want to
know what the problem is and if there is any way to lessen the symptoms.
The only thing I worry about is having problems with insurance
after being diagnosed with asthma.  However, they already know the history
of office visits in the last couple of years and that would
probably be a problem anyway if I were to change insurance, which I am not
planning to do.  The bottom line is it sounds like your wife
is having a lot of the same problems that I have had for many years.