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You may have an increased risk of asthma because of your environment or occupation, your family history or genes, other medical conditions, your race or ethnicity, or your sex.

The exact cause of asthma is unknown, and the causes may vary from person to person. However, asthma is often the result of a strong response of the immune system to an allergen in the environment.

Asthma is a chronic, or long-term, condition that intermittently inflames and narrows the airways in the lungs. The inflammation makes the airways swell. Asthma causes periods of wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and coughing.

Learn more about NCI CGH Project ECHO® Program.

It is important that you receive follow-up care, know about the possible complications that may occur after the procedure, and follow the treatment plan that your doctor recommends for your condition.

After the procedure, your doctor will remove the catheter, sheath, and guidewire. A dressing, accompanied by pressure, is applied to the site where the catheter was inserted to stop the bleeding. You will be moved to a recovery room.

Cardiac catheterization takes place in a catheterization laboratory, or cath lab, which is similar to a small operating room. A long thin tube called a catheter is inserted via a needle, guidewire, and sheath into a blood vessel leading to the heart.

You will meet with your cardiologist, a doctor who specializes in the heart. Your doctor will ask you about your medical history, do a physical exam, give you instructions on how to prepare for the procedure, and may give you some tests or procedures.

Your doctor may recommend cardiac catheterization to find out what is causing signs or symptoms of a heart problem or to treat or repair a heart problem.