Having a condition that limits your ability to breathe is never an easy thing to live with. This is especially true for those who suffer from respiratory and lung disease known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a serious and potentially life-threatening respiratory disorder which results in approximately one hundred thousand deaths in the U.S. each year.

COPD is basically a combination of two other respiratory diseases - emphysema and bronchitis. With these disorders, just like with COPD, the flow of air through your air passages is blocked. This is in most instances, a permanent condition which worsens as time goes by, making it very hard for the COPD sufferer to breathe.

What causes this troubling lung condition ongoing lung disorder and what can be done about it?

The number one cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease around the world is smoking. Research now tells us that nearly approximately 15 percent of smokers will develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Smoking cigarettes does damage to the lungs in a multitude of ways. One of the best ways to prevent COPD or to keep it from getting worse is to quit smoking immediately and try to avoid being around smoke since the exact effects of second hand smoke on COPD are not completely known.

There are other things that can trigger COPD as well. 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 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a rare genetic condition called AAT. This is responsible for about 1 percent of cases annually.

If you have COPD, the best thing to do is to learn as much as you can about what caused it and what type 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 find the best plan for treating your COPD. If COPD is not treated, it will most certainly always get worse.

The encouraging news for those suffering from this disorder is that there are treatments that can help clear the obstruction in the airways, making it easier for you to breathe as you did before.

There are a variety of helpful medications your doctor can suggest that can be helpful and provide some relief from of the symptoms of COPD. Exercise, as recommended by your doctor, can also provide some improvement.

The earlier you seek treatment for your condition the better your chances of being able to breathe more normally again.

Regrettably, there is no permanent cure for COPD and the lung damage that results from it. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease cannot be reversed, but it can, more often than not be prevented.