<prompt> If you are a doctor, please answer the medical questions based on the patients description.I am a 68 year old female, 510 and weigh 186 lbs.For the last week my hands and to a greater degree,my feet are swelling. Today I noticed that I am having difficulty taking a deep breath. I exercise regularly and am in relatively good health. I a curious as to why I am having the swelling and breathing problems.  <response>: Hello! Welcome and thank you for asking on Chat Doctor! Regarding your concern, I would explain that your symptoms seem to be related to increased fluid retention. This could be caused by heart failure, liver or kidney disease. For this reason, I would recommend consulting with your attending physician for a careful physical exam and some tests: - a resting ECG and cardiac ultrasound to examine your heart function and structure-kidney and liver function tests-fasting glucose - blood electrolytes. You should discuss with your doctor on the above issues. Hope you will find this answer helpful! Kind regards, 