 [ Symptoms ] the first day of my last period was 112213 is it too soon to take a pregnancy test [ Disease ] dyspnea is difficulty breathing dyspnea can have a wide range of causes including being out of shape deconditioning problems in the lungs infections emphysema asthma problems with the heart congestive heart failure pulmonary embolism anemia a low red blood cell count problems with the chest wall or breathing muscles muscular dystrophy everyone has dyspnea with exercise—even olympic athletes breathe faster after running up a flight of stairs with increasing regular exercise it takes higher levels of exertion to bring on dyspnea shortness of breath that occurs with a level of activity that used to be easy or dyspnea that is getting worse might be due to a medical condition generally speaking worsening or unexplained dyspnea should prompt a call to your doctor dyspnea is