I have high blood pressure, but I do not know the cause. I have been feeling like my heart is pumping way too hard sometimes for no reason. My heart rate is normal most of the time, but the actual beats feel forceful.

This is a good question. I have many patients who are aware of their heart beat. This is often called feeling “palpitations.” There are many causes of such palpitations and an evaluation by a doctor is important. This will usually include an ECG and sometimes a monitor to...