Some people with lung or heart disease have low levels of oxygen in their blood. This can make them feel tired and short of breath. Oxygen therapy will give you extra oxygen and may help you feel better, do more, and even sleep better. It may also help you live longer if you have low blood oxygen levels.

Oxygen therapy is a way to increase the amount of oxygen in the lungs and the bloodstream. It is sometimes used for people with diseases that make it hard to breathe, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis, or heart failure. Oxygen therapy can make it easier to breathe and reduce the heart’s workload.

Some people need extra oxygen all the time. Others need it from time to time throughout the day or overnight. A doctor will prescribe how much oxygen you need, based on blood tests. He or she will tell you how much oxygen to use per minute (flow rate) and how often it should be used.

To breathe oxygen, most people use a nasal cannula (say "KAN-yuh-luh"), a thin tube with two prongs that fit inside your nostrils. Children and people who need high levels of oxygen may need to use a mask that fits over the nose and mouth.

Oxygen can be delivered to your home in tanks, or cylinders, or it can be produced in your home by a machine called an oxygen concentrator.  Diamond will help you choose the source that fits your needs. A combination of methods may be the best choice. Some people use a concentrator at home, keep a large oxygen tank on hand as a backup, and have small tanks for use outside the home.