Although it is unpolular to say so, I was always under the impression that except in rare cases, asthma is self-limiting. True or no?

When in I was in high school, I had a good friend with fairly bad asthma, and his mother fauned and fretted over his attacks. We were with his grandfather one day, and he had a attack, and no inhalor. His grandfather said something to the effect that he'll either calm down, or pass out, and in either case it'll be done with. He was right. He almost passed out, he did calm down, and it was over with.