 [ Symptoms ] i am a veteran who has beta thalassemia minor and asthma while in deployment in afghanistan [ Disease ] of course having low haemoglobin count can cause these feeling of breathlessness as a result under stressful conditions you can get such episodes as your oxygen is not sufficient so your respiratory rate will increase to cope with low oxygen level in blood and this in turn will lead to frequent fatiguability and weakness your haemtologist should write you a haematinic supplement as well treating thalassemia