Menu
eMediHealth Logo
Subscribe
No Result
View All Result
eMediHealth Logo
Subscribe
No Result
View All Result

Home > Health > Surprising Reasons Why Crying Is Actually Good for You

Surprising Reasons Why Crying Is Actually Good for You

July 27, 2022
5 min read
By Sarita Sanke, MD | Dermatology

In this article:

  • Types of Tears
  • Why Crying Is Good
  • Most-Asked Questions About Crying
  • Final Word

Each eye contains a lacrimal gland that secretes different types of tears (1)(2) for different purposes. The primary function of these tears is to keep the surface of your eyes clean and lubricated so you can see clearly. (3)

reasons why crying can be good for you

The overproduction of these tears leads to crying, which is a natural and healthy response to emotional and nonemotional factors. Strong feelings of joy, anger, frustration, sadness, etc., can trigger a crying spell.

If you get dust, dirt, or pungent or caustic fumes in your eyes, the lacrimal glands produce more tears to form a protective shield over the cornea, thus making your eyes water. The stream of tears helps wash out any foreign body from the eyes.

According to a biochemist named Frey, tears brought on by emotional reasons carry more protein than those formed during regular watering of the eyes. This indicates that emotional crying is part of a healing process. (4)

Advertisements

This article will discuss how crying can positively impact your health.

Types of Tears

The human eye produces three types of tears:

  1. Basal tears that keep the frontal area of the eyes moist, smooth, and clear
  2. Reflex tears that are triggered by physical irritants such as dust and the strong sulfuric vapors released by onions
  3. Emotional tears that come out in response to emotional triggers such as happiness, grief, and fear (5)

Why Crying Is Good

Crying may be associated mostly with negative emotions, but it can actually bring about some positive effects. Here are some of them:

1. Reduces stress

emotional crying can help reduce excess stress levels

The therapeutic effect of a “good cry” is much talked about, but does it hold water when subjected to scientific scrutiny? It turns out crying serves as a cathartic release of pent-up emotions, both happiness and distress.

People who repress their emotions as a coping mechanism tend to accumulate stress in the body, which can gradually weaken their immune function, lead to hypertension, and affect their mental health by making them prone to anxiety and depression.

Emotional crying helps relieve stress and tension from the mind and body, providing a self-soothing effect. Thus, if you are going through a lot and feel overwhelmed, crying it out can help lighten your emotional load and relax your mind. It mainly does so by releasing certain feel-good hormones in the body called endorphins and oxytocin. (6)

Advertisements

Endorphins neutralize the stress hormone called cortisol and uplift your mood, while oxytocin helps calm your entire system and induce a sense of generalized well-being. (7) This does not mean that all your problems and emotional turmoil will go away, but you are likely to feel less sad, angry, hurt, or stressed after bawling your eyes out. (8)(9)

2. Promotes overall health

Crying stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, consequently improving your blood circulation, immune functioning, digestion, oxygen absorption, and breathing rate.

3. Brings you closer to your loved ones

Crying reveals a very honest and vulnerable side of you and allows you to express and communicate with others at a deeply personal level. Plus, it invites others to reach out to you and offer support.

Thus, this simple act fosters attachment, empathy, and connection among family and friends. (1) This kind of bonding and sense of community have a positive impact on your mental and physical health.

4. Reduces the risk of eye infection

Emotional tears contain an enzyme called lysozyme, which helps fight infection-causing bacteria that may enter your eyes. Plus, crying flushes out debris, dust, or toxins that may settle on your cornea and cause irritation, damage, unclear vision, or infection. (10)

Most-Asked Questions About Crying

How does crying affect my well-being?

how does crying influence your well-being?

Crying influences your well-being through the elimination, via tears, of stress hormones (e.g., cortisol) and toxic substances from the blood. (9)

Advertisements

Does crying relieve dry eyes?

The most basic function of tears is to keep your ocular surface moist and smooth at all times. (3) This keeps your eyes comfortable and enables perfect vision. 

If your lacrimal glands do not produce enough tears to keep the eyes properly lubricated due to a blockage or dysfunction, dry eyes occur, which are quite common among the elderly and can last for a long time.

Dryness in the eyes can cause irritation, pain, and blurred vision and even increase the risk of injury and infection. (3) Such cases require proper medical treatment, which includes eye drops that work as artificial tears to keep the eye surface lubricated. (11)

Final Word

Letting emotions and stress build up inside you can negatively impact your mind and body in multiple ways. So, if you feel like crying, it is better to give in to the impulse rather than hold it back. It is a healthy and natural thing to do. (12)

References
  1. Leo Newhouse LICSW. Is crying good for you? Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/is-crying-good-for-you-2021030122020. Published March 1, 2021.
  2. Facts about tears. American Academy of Ophthalmology. https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/facts-about-tears. Published March 26, 2018.
  3. Kim M, Lee Y, Mehra D, Sabater AL, Galor A. Dry eye: why artificial tears are not always the answer. BMJ Open Ophthalmol. 2021;6(1):e000697. Published 2021 Apr 8. doi:10.1136/bmjophth-2020-000697.
  4. Collier L. Why we cry. Monitor on Psychology. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2014/02/cry. Published February 2014.
  5. Winerman L. By the numbers: Shedding tears. Monitor on Psychology. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2017/07-08/numbers.
  6. Byun H-S, Hwang H, Kim G-D. Crying therapy intervention for breast cancer survivors: Development and effects. MDPI. https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/13/4911/htm. Published July 7, 2020.
  7. Pflugfelder SC, Stern ME. Biological functions of tear film. Exp Eye Res. 2020;197:108115. doi:10.1016/j.exer.2020.108115.
  8. Crying can be good for your mental health. Acenda. https://acendahealth.org/crying-can-be-good-for-your-mental-health/. Published December 29, 2020.
  9. Gračanin A, Bylsma LM, Vingerhoets AJ. Is crying a self-soothing behavior?. Front Psychol. 2014;5:502. Published 2014 May 28. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00502.
  10. Sarab. The Power of Tears. Allisonville Eye Care Center. https://www.all-eyes.org/2020/04/21/the-power-of-tears/. Published April 21, 2020.
  11. Dry Eye. Dry eye – Better Health Channel. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/dry-eye.
  12. Mr Robert Longhurst. Is crying really good for you? Top Doctors. https://www.topdoctors.co.uk/medical-articles/is-crying-really-good-for-you. Published January 1, 1970.
  • Was this article helpful?
  • YES, THANKS!NOT REALLY
Spread the Love❤️
Advertisements
Advertisements
Advertisements
Advertisements

Newsletter

Get our BEST updates delivered to your inbox:



This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Categories

  • Nutrition
  • Wellness
  • Oral Care
  • Eye Care
  • Heart Health
  • Skin & Beauty
  • Women’s Health
  • Ear, Nose & Throat
  • Respiratory Health

Links

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Cookie Policy
  • Editorial Policy
  • Advertising Policy
  • Subscribe to Newsletter
eMediHealth

This site provides content for informational purposes only. The information provided is not intended for use as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. In case of a medical concern or emergency, please consult your healthcare provider.

This website is certified by Health On the Net Foundation.

Our Network: Little Extra

© 2019 eMediHealth. All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Nutrition
  • Skin & Beauty
  • Wellness
  • Yoga & Meditation
  • Women’s Health
  • Heart Health
  • Allergy & Immunology
  • Bones & Joints
  • Child Health
  • Digestive
  • Ear, Nose & Throat
  • Eye Care
  • Glands & Hormones
  • Health News
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Mental Health
  • Nervous System
  • Oral Care
  • Pain Management
  • Respiratory Health
  • Sleep Disorders
  • Urological Health

© 2019 eMediHealth. All rights reserved.