Marcia Cheers couldn''t catch her breath.

Cheers, like many Midwesterners, had bouts of hay fever and sinus inflammation while growing up. But when she moved back to St. Louis after living in Atlanta for several years, occasional sneezing progressed into severe allergies and full-blown asthma.

Cheers, 50, had always lived an active life, working two jobs, raising her children and walking. The allergies and asthma began to constrict her life. An encounter with a cigarette smoker or someone wearing heavy perfume could have her doubled over and gasping for air.

"I couldn''t leave the house, even with a mask on," Cheers said.

Despite taking a laundry list of medications, Cheers ended up in the emergency room with severe, acute asthma attacks. During one of these visits, a respiratory therapist referred her to a study led by Dr. Mario Castro, associate professor of pulmonary and critical care medicine at Washington University and director of the pulmonary function lab at the asthma and allergy center.

Cheers was skeptical. She had seen a parade of doctors and her asthma was still uncontrolled. But she figured she had nothing to lose.

"When I went for the first visit, my breathing was so bad that I walked bent over," Cheers said.

Dr. Castro and his team started Cheers on a comprehensive program to control the asthma, underlying lung inflammation and allergy triggers. Her regimen included injectable and oral medication and home nebulizer treatments.

Slowly, her condition improved. Her number of emergency room visits has dropped dramatically. She is able to play with her grandchildren and go shopping. And the most noticeable difference – she can talk without gasping for air.

"I''ve never seen a bunch of people like Dr. Castro and his team," Cheers said. "They really, really work to make you better. And they care about you as a person."