Clinically, many hypertensive patients are worried about the side effects of antihypertensive drugs, thinking that “medicine is poisonous”, as long as there are no symptoms, they are not willing to take drugs, especially newly diagnosed hypertensive patients; some patients look at the drug instructions have side effects and are afraid to take drugs, or after the emergence of adverse reactions, they will stop the drug, change the drug. In fact, these are one-sided understanding and wrong practice. The benefits of antihypertensive drugs are very clear, and the incidence of side effects is very low and mild. So what are the side effects of drugs? Side effects refer to pharmacological effects other than those intended for therapeutic purposes that occur after the application of a therapeutic amount of the drug. Adverse reactions, on the other hand, are harmful reactions unrelated to the therapeutic purpose that occur during the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of a disease when the drug is applied in normal dosage and administration. These two concepts are very close, but there is still a difference. Simply put, the concept of side effects is broader, and side effects are not necessarily harmful, while adverse reactions are harmful; in addition, the reactions that occur when drugs are not applied according to normal usage and dosage cannot strictly speaking be called adverse reactions. The side effects that hypertensive patients are worried about should actually be called adverse reactions. For example, there is a kind of antihypertensive drug called slow-release isoptin, some patients will have constipation side effects, but used in patients with chronic diarrhea in hypertension just have a therapeutic effect, which can not be called adverse reactions. Some of the more serious adverse reactions will only occur under specific conditions, for example, beta blockers (metoprolol, bisoprolol, etc.) will only induce asthma attacks in people with asthma, but not in the general population; and when applied to patients with bradycardia and atrioventricular block of degree II or higher, there is a risk of cardiac arrest. Therefore, asthma, bradycardia, and atrioventricular block of degree II or higher are contraindications to beta blockers. Doctors should ask patients about their medical history in detail before applying beta blockers, but of course, if there are no contraindications mentioned above, there is no need to worry too much, and serious adverse reactions usually do not occur. Then, for example, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (Benadryl, Perdapril, Midapril, etc.) or angiotensin receptor antagonists (Crosartan, Valsartan, etc.) can cause fetal malformation, so they are absolutely contraindicated for pregnant women. In addition, thiazide diuretics (hydrochlorothiazide, indapamide, etc.) can raise uric acid and induce gout attacks, so they are prohibited for gout patients. The application of thiazide diuretics may also cause allergic reactions in people who are allergic to sulfonamide drugs, so loop diuretics (furothimide, tolathiamides, etc.) can be used instead. What are the main general adverse reactions of other hypertensive drugs? Calcium antagonists (amlodipine, nifedipine, lacidipine, benidipine, etc.) mainly have ankle edema, gingival hyperplasia, facial redness, tachycardia and other adverse reactions, but the incidence of adverse reactions is different for different calcium antagonists, and lacidipine and benidipine have a relatively low incidence of adverse reactions. The most common adverse effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors is irritating dry cough, especially at night, with an average incidence of about 20%, while the incidence of midazolam is relatively low. As for angiotensin receptor antagonists, the adverse effects of dry cough are even less frequent and similar to placebo. Thiazide diuretics can raise blood lipids, blood sugar, lower blood potassium, and these adverse reactions and the size of the diuretic dose is closely related, can be reduced by reducing the dose, adding potassium diuretics or potassium ion supplementation to offset these adverse reactions. beta blockers can cause fatigue, fatigue, drowsiness and other adverse reactions, so drivers use caution. So are there any antihypertensive drugs with few adverse effects? China’s hypertension patient education guidelines point out that any kind of antihypertensive drugs may not be tolerated by individuals. The adverse reactions listed on the drug’s instructions are a summary of the various adverse reactions found in the long-term clinical application of the drug, generally accounting for only 1 to 5%, so not every patient will occur after using the drug. And most of the adverse reactions of antihypertensive drugs are reversible, and the adverse reactions can gradually disappear after stopping the drug. Some of the adverse reactions of antihypertensive drugs can also be offset by the combination of drugs, such as long-term use of calcium antagonists after ankle edema, can be combined with a small dose of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, or the use of angiotensin receptor antagonists or diuretics, both to eliminate edema, but also to enhance the antihypertensive effect of drugs. In conclusion, the side effects of antihypertensive drugs are not terrible, and are generally safe as long as they are used rationally under the guidance of a doctor and strictly controlled within the scope of indications. Even if minor adverse reactions occur, the medication can be adjusted under the guidance of a doctor to achieve the ideal state of lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, while minimizing the side effects of the drug, so that it can be applied consistently over a long period of time.