(HealthDayNews) -- Long-term oxygen therapy can provide significant benefits for people with severe emphysema. Its goal is not only to relieve shortness of breath, but to improve survival and make it possible to carry out everyday activities, according to the Marion County Medical Center in South Carolina.
Patients using home oxygen therapy usually need to use it for about 18 hours a day, including when they sleep and when doing anything that requires physical exertion, such as walking or grocery shopping.
When the therapy is prescribed as part of a treatment plan, Medicare and most insurance carriers cover the cost.
