David,it's interesting that inspite of
your many visits to General Practitioners no-one refered you to
an Allergist, Pulmonologist or Lung
Specialist.The best person to most likely solve your wife's problem is one
those just mentioned.The allergy Specialist will run a series of allergy
test on your wife to determine any specific agent triggering the persistent
cough and wheezing sometimes acompanied
by chest tightness.On the hand,the Pulmonologist or Lung Specialist will
also run a series of provocative tests
to determine if your wife suffers from
a condition known as Asthma which can
often be relieved with the use of inhaled beta agonist bronchodilators or anticholinergics.In some cases, Anti-
inflamatory steroids have shown to be
beneficial.Infact some individuals have
been said to gain relieve from the use
OTC agents, it is safer to consult a
Specialist before trying anything.
Good Luck!