Health Benefits Of Tears: A Good Cry Can Be Beneficial

Crying is a normal response to many different circumstances. When most people talk about crying they are referring to emotional tears. This is a response that occurs from a range of emotions. This could be sadness, joy, pride, frustration, or anger.

What some people don’t know is you have three different types of tears. You have emotional tears, basal or continuous tears, or reflex tears. Basal or continuous tears are protein rich antibacterial liquid that is made in your tear ducts constantly. These tears help keep your eyes moist every time you blink. Reflex tears are triggered by irritants. These could be things like wind, smoke, or onions. Reflex tears work to flush out the irritants and keep your eyes protected.

Common Reasons To Cry

How much you cry and what causes you to cry can vary widely per person. One reason a person may cry is to signal distress. This is common in infants or babies who aren’t verbal yet. Crying can signify that they are hungry, sleepy, are in pain, or need some kind of assistance, like a diaper change. Adults may cry to help signal distress if they are feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or frustrated.

Grief is another reason for some people to cry. Not everyone will cry during the grieving process, but for some people it is a necessary step that helps them come to terms with losing a loved one.

Depression is different from sadness. It is not an emotion, but a mental health condition. Depression can lead to someone to cry more often than normal.

Physical injury is a normal reason for someone to cry. When you are injured your body becomes stressed and the levels of cortisol rise in your body. Crying can help release some of the cortisol making your body recover.

You do not have to cry just because you are sad. You can have what some people call happy tears and cry for joy. This can happen when you have had a baby, or watched one of your children succeed at something wonderful.

Crying can also increase your social bond with others. When some people see others cry they are more empathetic towards them. They also feel more connected with a person who is crying which can deepen a social bond.

In some cases, some people have been told to suppress their tears. Or you may think you don’t need to cry, or crying shows some form of weakness. Suppressing your tears may cause you to miss out on a range of health benefits.

Health Benefits Of Crying

Crying can be a form of self-soothing. Crying can help you regulate your own emotions, calm yourself down, and reduce your own distress.

It can also help detoxify your body. Crying can protect you from infections and irritants. It can also help flush out stress hormones and toxins that build up in your body.

When you cry your body releases oxytocin and endorphins. These two things are usually referred to as the feel good chemicals. These feel good chemicals can help you relieve emotional or physical pain. Endorphins can make you feel numb when they are released. Oxytocin can give you a sense of calm. Oxytocin and endorphins can also help improve your mood when they are released. Sobbing has been shown to improve your mood due to the release of oxytocin and endorphins along with the quick short breaths of cool air you take during a good sob. A cool brain is a happier brain than a warm one.

For babies crying can help aid in their sleep. It also helps them take their very first breath. Babies in the womb get oxygen from the umbilical cord. When they are born they have to learn to breathe. Crying as they are born helps them take that first breath. Crying also helps babies clear out extra fluid from their lungs, nose, and mouth.

Crying can help you come back to an emotional equilibrium. When you are scared, or extremely happy, crying can be a way your body levels out your emotions and gets you back to a balanced emotional state.

For some people it can help them move through the grieving process. Crying can also help fight bacteria, and improve your vision.

Takeaway

Crying is a normal response. If you start to have excessive crying that starts to get in the way of your everyday activities, you will want to reach out to a healthcare provider. This could be a sign of depression. Other signs of depression include lack of energy, unexplained aches and pains, suicidal ideation, changes in appetite, feeling sad, lonely, irritable, or frustrated.