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Doctors typically prescribe supplemental oxygen therapy when your blood oxygen levels fall below specific thresholds. This is measured in two main ways:

Using a finger pulse oximeter to check oxygen saturation in your blood, or through an arterial blood gas test that measures the partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) in your Show Full Answer

Doctors typically prescribe supplemental oxygen therapy when your blood oxygen levels fall below specific thresholds. This is measured in two main ways:

Using a finger pulse oximeter to check oxygen saturation in your blood, or through an arterial blood gas test that measures the partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) in your bloodstream. If your PaO2 levels drop below 55 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), you may need supplemental oxygen. For reference, normal PaO2 levels typically range between 75-100 mm Hg. Some people may only need oxygen during specific activities like walking, eating, sleeping or during flights. Others might require it even while resting. When oxygen is needed 24 hours a day, it's called "long-term oxygen therapy" (LTOT) and should be used at least 15 hours daily for benefits, though using it for all 24 hours provides maximum benefit.

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