Oxygen Therapy: Who Needs It, How It Is Given and How to Use It Safely

Every cell in the body needs oxygen to make energy. The lungs take it from the air, and the blood carries it to the organs and tissues. Some medical conditions leave blood oxygen too low, which can make a person short of breath, tired and confused — and can damage the body. Oxygen therapy helps by supplying more.

What it is

Oxygen therapy, also called supplemental oxygen, gives you extra oxygen to breathe. It is available only with a prescription from a health care provider, and can be used in the hospital, another medical setting or at home. Some people need it only for a short time; others need it long term.

How it is delivered:

• The source: tanks of liquid or gas oxygen, or an oxygen concentrator, a machine that pulls oxygen out of the air. Both come in portable versions that make it easier to move around.
• The connection: a nose tube (cannula), a mask or a tent. The extra oxygen is breathed in along with ordinary air.

Who needs it

Oxygen therapy may be prescribed for conditions that cause low blood oxygen, including:

• COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
• pneumonia
• COVID-19
• a severe asthma attack
• late-stage heart failure
• cystic fibrosis
• sleep apnea

Side effects and safety

Oxygen therapy is generally safe, but it can cause a dry or bloody nose, tiredness and morning headaches. Two safety rules matter most:

• Oxygen is a fire risk. Never smoke, or use anything flammable, while using oxygen.
• Keep tanks secured and upright. A tank that falls and cracks, or whose top breaks off, can shoot off like a missile.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a different treatment: you breathe oxygen inside a pressurized chamber or tube. Under pressure, the lungs can take in up to three times more oxygen than when breathing oxygen at normal air pressure, and the extra oxygen travels through the blood to organs and tissues.

HBOT is used for:

• certain serious wounds, burns, injuries and infections;
• air or gas embolisms (air bubbles in the bloodstream);
• decompression sickness in divers;
• carbon monoxide poisoning.

Some treatment centers claim HBOT can treat nearly anything, including Alzheimer's disease, autism, cancer and Lyme disease. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not cleared or approved HBOT for those conditions. HBOT has risks of its own, so always check with your provider before trying it.

Sources

Based on "Oxygen Therapy," MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine; a work of the United States government in the public domain.