Home oxygen therapy is prescribed for some people who have a low oxygen level in their blood and need more oxygen than the air they normally breathe. A physician or nurse practitioner must write a prescription for home oxygen therapy. The prescription will show a flowrate, or the amount of oxygen given per minute and how often oxygen will be required. Some people require oxygen continuously while others need it just for during exercise or while they sleep.

The goals of oxygen therapy are to:
- improve the quality and length of life
- make breathing easier
- reduce the work of the heart
- increase blood oxygen levels

Oxygen is necessary for life but it is important to note that it is not a cure for lung disease nor will it necessarily make the feeling of breathlessness go away.