Having an lung disease that affects breathing can be extremely challenging. This is especially true for those who suffer from respiratory and lung disease known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder is a serious and potentially life-threatening breathing illness which results in more than 130,000 deaths in the United States each year. It is the fourth leading cause of death. Worldwide, about twelve million cases have been diagnosed, and many people may have it with being aware.

COPD is also a major cause of disability. More than 12 million people are currently diagnosed with COPD. Many more people may have the disease and not even know it.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder is actually a combination of two other respiratory disorders – emphysema and bronchitis. With these disorders, just like with COPD, the flow of air through your air passages is reduced. This is almost always a permanent condition which grows worse as time goes by, making it very difficult for the COPD sufferer to breathe.

What causes this troubling lung disorder ongoing lung disease and what can you and your doctor do about it?

The primary cause of COPD in the United States is smoking. Statistics reveal that nearly one of every six smokers will develop COPD.

Cigarette smoke damages your lungs in many different ways. One of the best ways to prevent COPD or to keep it from progressing is to quit smoking right away and try to avoid being around smoke since the exact effects of second hand smoke on COPD are not completely known yet.

There are other environmental pollutants and irritants that can trigger COPD too. Indoor and outdoor air pollution is one of the most common. Stoves used for cooking as well as silica and similar pollutants are dangerous.

Another cause of this respitratory is a rare genetic condition called AAT. This is responsible for approximately 1% of cases annually.

If you have COPD, your doctor will tell you to learn as much as you can about how you got it and what kind you have. You can do this by working together with your doctor and talking about your medical history, family history and symptoms. Your doctor can help you come up with the best plan arresting the progress of your COPD. If COPD is not treated, it will most certainly always get worse.

Symptoms of COPD include coughing that produces large amounts of mucus. There will probably also be wheezing, shortness of breath, tightness in the chest, and a number of lesser symptoms.

The good news for those who have this disease is that there are treatment possibilities available that can help clear the obstruction in the airways, making it easier for you to breathe normally again.

There are a variety of medications your doctor can prescribe that can assist and give you some relief from of the symptoms of COPD. Exercise, as recommended by your doctor, can also provide some improvement.

The sooner you seek treatment for your disorder the more likely you’ll be able to breathe more normally again.

Regrettably, medical science has not developed a cure for COPD and the lung damage that results from it. COPD cannot be reversed, but it can, more often than not be prevented.

If you’d like to learn more about this topic and related subjects, click on lung and respiratory disorders. You’ll find dozens of easy-to-read and easy to understand articles and helpful resources about lung conditions and the respiratory system.

The author, Neal Kennedy, is a former medical reporter and radio talk show host with a special interest in health, fitness and medical topics.