Asthma rant

Rant ahead.  Asthma the blown off disease.  What do I mean by blown off disease?  What I mean is that most people think its not a big deal and just blow it off.  It gets on my nerves as a parent with a child that suffers from Asthma and not the form most people are used to (he doesn't wheeze just coughs or his throat sucks in).  Yes I know I go on and on about this but its important to me.  I almost lost my youngest due to undiagnosed asthma which long story short he had a lung started to collapse so he ended up in our states children's hospital in ICU (by life flight) for about 2 days then in the normal portion for a couple more days (don't ask exact days as it was about 5 years ago).  Since then I have had so many people actually shocked that I make him carry his asthma inhaler in a fanny pack that when he remembers it, he carries all the time.   Anyway back to the topic. Asthma is not something to be messed with. Asthma does kill people yes not as many as it did before the invent of inhaler medicine but it still does (deaths per 100,000 population 1.1 via the CDC website).  It is not something to just blow off.  I am tired of people acting like its no big deal it is.  Yes some people can keep it under control or only have some minor attacks but not everyone is like that.  It took us a couple of years to figure out what cause most of my sons triggers which are all four of the common triggers which illness, exercise, food (yes it can trigger attacks food coloring is a big one for my son), or environmental.  However he still will have attacks that flare up for no reason.  Before you still think its no big deal think about all of sudden having to gasp for air and can't catch a breath its not fun.  The reason why I am going over this is that I was thinking of how society is so not understanding or even knowledgeable about asthma now days. I am just tired of the attitude its no big deal its not like heart problems or physical disabilities. But it can be a very serious issue not to be taken lightly.   So please if someone tells you that they have asthma or their child does, do not blow them off or ignore them.  I take this issue very seriously as it is close to my heart. I do understand how it feels to have asthma because as a child I had it also but mine was just from exercise and being around smokers. Also I did not have severe attacks but I still take it seriously.  So again please don't blow off asthma like its just a paper cut.

Rant over.