Is it good to cry: what are tears, their benefits and harm to the body

Joy, sadness and even impotence are sometimes the cause of tears. Did you know that crying is useful, especially if there is a lot of stress in your soul. Throw out everything you are holding in through tears and cleanse yourself. According to Charles Darwin, tears released through laughter are a feature of the human body. In any case, crying is useful, because... This is a physiological natural process. Of course, if this doesn't happen all the time.

It is believed that women cry 2 to 7 times more often than men, but this does not mean that men do not cry. A little tears never hurt anyone, and even brought benefit or relief. Today we will tell you why crying is good for a person.

Why is crying good for you?

Sometimes it is human nature to feel sad, especially life circumstances, some films, situations make us shed tears. Tears and crying relieve tension and protect the eyes. Tears can appear in various cases, for example, during severe pain, or when watching a comedy.

A 1985 study found that crying was a sedative for 85% of women and 73% of men. Thus, tears help relieve tension. Therefore, crying is good for our health.

Tears destroy bacteria:

Tears are a natural antibacterial and disinfectant against bacteria. They contain the substance lysozyme, which can destroy up to 95% of bacteria in 10 minutes.

Cleansing:

It is believed that tears from melancholy or grief allow the body to cleanse itself. When we cry, toxins that are caused by stress are removed from the body along with tears. This can be called treatment.

Stress reliever:

Tears have been proven to reduce stress because... this releases endorphins, enkephalin and prolactin, which protect the body from stress.

With the help of tears, people can sometimes become closer to each other and fully express their feelings and emotions. They expel accumulated unnecessary “substances” from the body so that they cannot cause harm to the nervous and cardiovascular systems.

We all know, of course, that after crying a lot, we feel much calmer. Crying also regulates heart rate.

Tears improve your mood:

Tears contain large amounts of manganese. This trace element prevents symptoms of anxiety, fear and depression. Manganese, “released” along with tears, significantly improves mood.

Various studies have shown that women cry mainly due to depression, sadness, fatigue, and aggression. Men sometimes cry to suppress their feelings, but do so less often than women. One of the main reasons that women cry more often than men is PMS hormones. Spontaneous tears relieve our condition and we feel healthier. Our defense mechanisms do everything to save us from a depressed state. Crying really has a beneficial effect on our health.

Crying is a manifestation of strong emotions

Crying is a natural phenomenon that occurs more often from certain emotions, especially grief. Crying is an outward manifestation of strong emotions. A person may also cry due to pain, feelings of weakness, despair or joy. In any case, the process itself is very important, because... it supports the integrity of physical and mental health.

In addition, tears can appear not only from any emotions, but also from a speck of dust that gets into the eye. In this way they protect and wash the eyes and remove dirt. The tear glands secrete a small amount of tears all the time to protect and moisten the eyes. During times of tension and negativity, they help us cope with stress. If tears appear from joy, then this is also a kind of relief for the body. Those. they can be called emotional release.

Feelings, emotions, compassion, crying - all this applies only to humans. We are all human beings who sometimes cry. In some cases, crying is a means of communication, and this applies to children.

In cases where crying suppresses strong emotions, the body experiences relief. During stress, substances are produced that can weaken the immune system, etc., but tears help remove them from the body, and they are also eliminated through sweat.

If you are experiencing strong emotions or stress, then in this case you cannot keep negativity within yourself. Emotional stress must be thrown out through tears in order to relieve yourself of psychological pressure and improve your health.

Only after this you need to calm down and the situation will be resolved. Tears contain endorphin, which helps soothe pain and therefore helps calm crying. It has a calming effect on the body and mind.

Women cry more often than men, probably because they are more sensitive to emotions. This is also due to the hormone prolactin, which women have more of. Be that as it may, every person has the right to cry and should not be ashamed of tears.

It’s good for women: they can afford to cry sometimes, and no one will judge them for it. And the benefits of such a manifestation of feelings are greater than it seems at first glance. Let’s figure it out today with “Beautiful and Successful” why it’s sometimes good to cry.

The benefits of tears have been known since ancient times.

Aristotle in his work “Ars Poetics” wrote that tears are an indispensable condition for catharsis - a state when emotional release and liberation from negative thoughts occur.

Modern doctors and psychologists agree with the ancients and decide the question “is crying useful or harmful?” It’s clear: emotional tension does not need to be suppressed.

And tears are just the universal tool that allows us to express these emotions.

In short, crying is good for both the nervous system and the health of the body.

Why crying is useful: physiological aspects

Eye protection

If a foreign substance (a grain of sand, volatile ether compounds with a pungent odor) gets into the eye or the air around it becomes too dry, a reflexive release of tear fluid occurs.

A tear moisturizes the surface of the eyeball, washes it and protects it from damage.

Disinfection

Human tears have bactericidal properties. When it washes the eye, harmful bacteria and viruses deposited on the membrane of the eyeball are destroyed. The fact is that the tear fluid contains lysozyme, which can destroy almost any bacteria, which means that the benefits of tears for maintaining the health of our visual organs are obvious.

Removing toxins from the body

Like other fluids secreted by the body (sweat, urine), tears help get rid of harmful substances accumulated in tissues and organs.

In addition, it was found that tears caused by different reasons have different chemical compositions. Thus, being the result of strong emotions, they contain more prolactin, manganese, potassium and proteins.

And this is no coincidence! After all, these substances are produced much more intensely in the body when we experience.

Elimination of pain

This is another interesting property of tears.

When you cry, your body releases enkephalins, which are natural anesthetics. Scientists say they act like opium drugs, reducing pain. So, if you experience an injury, do not hold back your tears: you will feel not only moral, but also physical relief.

Stress management

Many people mistakenly believe that crying is an indicator of low stress tolerance. But in fact, emotional tears help strengthen the psyche.

During times of intense stress, the adrenal glands release increased amounts of cortisol and adrenaline. These substances are called stress hormones. When crying, they are removed from the body along with the tear fluid. As a result, a person’s anxiety is significantly reduced and mental stress is reduced.

Why is it good to cry: psychological aspect

Quite a lot has already been said that the suppression of natural emotions leads to serious problems: the general psychological state of a person worsens, and in the future so-called psychosomatic diseases may develop. So the question of whether it is useful for stress can definitely be answered: “Yes!”

Tears are a simple and natural mechanism that allows you to relieve nervous tension, literally “cry out” negative emotions, thereby reducing stress levels. So don't hold back your tears when you want to cry.

If you doubt whether crying is good for a child, think: by encouraging the sincere expression of feelings, from childhood you teach the little person to naturally express his emotions and relieve excess tension.

The baby’s nervous system will be formed correctly, and he himself will become calmer.

This rule, by the way, applies to both girls and boys. Forget the harmful admonition “men don’t cry” if you don’t want your son to teach himself to hold back his tears and, as an adult, to have an early heart attack or stroke.

Moreover, tears not only help to cope with negative experiences, but also improve your mood. When crying, endorphins are released, which are also called “joy hormones.” Thus, after crying from the bottom of your heart, you will not only begin to react calmer to difficulties and troubles, but also feel happier.

The question of whether it is healthy to cry in the presence of men requires special attention. It is known that a woman’s crying disarms representatives of the stronger sex: when they see their beloved’s tears, they feel helpless and strive to do everything to make their friend calm down.

In addition, tears are useful because they... unite.

You can only allow yourself to cry next to a very close person, and crying in the presence of a man is proof that you trust him. You will feel an even greater kinship with a person if you cry with him.

Marina Tsvetaeva in her “Poem of the End” addresses her beloved: “Cry! For crying together is greater than sleep.” Indeed, this creates a unique atmosphere of intimacy and trust. But remember: such moments should not be repeated often, let them become something exceptional in your life.

Scientific research

If everything is clear with basal and physiological tears, because there is no doubt about the benefits they bring to the body, then with emotional ones, not everything is so simple. Scientists say that a lot depends on the experiences that caused the tears, as well as on the conditions in which the crying person was.

Research conducted by L. Bylsma showed that people whose tears were caused by joyful emotions felt much better after crying than those who had to experience sad events. If the reason for the tears was a sudden awareness of the true causes of certain events significant to a person, then after sobbing he felt much better, even when the revealed truth upset him. Those whose tears aroused sympathy among others also experienced rapid improvement in their condition. In any case, crying helped to cope with stress faster.

Professor E. Vingerhots authoritatively states that immediately after crying, most people feel unwell. They are exhausted and exhausted, their general emotional mood can be described as negative. After 60-90 minutes, the condition stabilizes and then completely improves.

Glycine, what is it for?

In other words, when a person has enough free time, he can cry for fun and feel better after a few hours. If there is no time to stabilize the condition, and in the next 30-60 minutes you will need to make important decisions, appear in public or communicate with people, then it is better to control yourself and not give vent to tears.

The conditions under which people cry are also of great importance.

If a person does this alone or with someone close, then he almost immediately feels better. But if you happen to burst into tears in front of a large number of spectators, especially ill-wishers, then the person crying then takes a long time to come to his senses and may feel a sense of shame for his incontinence. Such experiences are more common among men than women.

How to cry correctly

Of course, if emotions overwhelm you, it’s difficult to talk about following any rules. And yet, so that tears do not harm your beauty and spoil your reputation, you should try to stick to them.

Throwing hysterics with streams of tears in public is not accepted in our society. Find a calm, secluded place where you can pour out your overwhelming emotions in tears, without embarrassing anyone or holding back yourself - then the benefits of crying will be maximum.

Do not wipe your eyes with your hands or a tissue - this will only increase the redness and swelling that usually appear after crying. When you've finally calmed down, simply wash your face with cool water and, if possible, wipe the area under your eyes with an ice cube.

Scientists believe that the benefits of tears for the psyche will be noticeable if you give yourself “crying therapy” at least once a week - this can improve your overall emotional state and even look younger.

Most adults are sure that tears must be held back, as it is a sign of weakness. However, is this really so? Is it good to cry, or do tears do more harm than good, we will find out today.

We will discuss not only the physiological side of the issue, but also the psychological one, because, at a minimum, when a person comes into this world, he announces his arrival with a loud cry! Subsequently, tears turn into a mechanism of influence on surrounding adults, which teaches us the basics of manipulation from the cradle.

What are tears made of?

Our eyes produce and secrete a fluid called tears.
The composition of tears is almost 99% water, the rest is sodium chloride and carbonate, magnesium, calcium phosphate and sulfate, carbohydrates, proteins and other substances. Tear fluid contains the enzyme lysozyme, which provides it with bactericidal properties. It is worth noting that the chemical composition of tears is similar to the composition of blood, however, the tear fluid contains a higher percentage of chlorine and potassium and a smaller amount of organic acids. By studying the composition of the blood, you can find out whether a person is healthy. The same applies to tears.

Social significance

It is interesting that over many centuries of evolution, the human psyche has adapted to this amazing mechanism. If someone cries, a stranger automatically begins to feel pity and sympathy for him. This is how the empathy mechanism works: a person intuitively feels that the level of stress hormone in the crying person’s body has exceeded its threshold. As a result, this outsider begins to feel pity for him.

The same mechanism reduces men's sexual attraction to crying women. The sobbing girl evokes nothing but sympathy. A mentally healthy man, not prone to sadism, is simply not capable of experiencing sexual attraction to her. So tears have a whole range of benefits. They protect vision, psyche and other body systems, protect against sexual and any other aggression of others, and even help to unleash creative potential.

There can be many reasons why people cry. It can be pain, joy, inner emptiness, or physical trauma. Crying is an expression of very strong
human
, and it does not always mean pain, as we are used to thinking about it, because you can also cry for joy, although we forget about it. They say that crying is quite useful, so let’s figure out why and when it’s worth crying, and when it’s better to hold back.

In general, any doctor, psychologist, consultant will advise not to hide your tears and if you want to cry, then cry at the top of your lungs, because when we cry, all the negativity that has accumulated in us comes out of us along with our tears. This is much better than accumulating all the negativity in yourself.

It’s not for nothing that our parents told us in childhood, “cry and everything will pass.” Indeed, tears have the function of “healing the wounds of the soul”; it has even been proven that by crying and expressing their feelings, women are freed from negative emotions, and this allows them to live longer than men who hold everything in themselves. Even animals cry when they part with their owner, because they too understand that their emotions need to be expressed. Do you express your emotions?

Let's move from theory to practice and figure out why crying is so useful?

Crying releases negative emotions that have accumulated in us.
Crying allows us to accumulate new emotions.
Crying helps to attract people to you (although it is sometimes a negative thing in that not everyone needs to see you cry).
Crying helps you communicate your emotions to others.
Crying helps take your mind off pain (whether physical or mental).

However, if there are cases when crying is useful, then there are also cases when crying with grief will not help, and for these reasons:

Appearance deteriorates.
You involve strangers in your feelings (what we said above).
You cannot clearly describe the situation (for example, crying during an emergency).
Crying in a public place can anger other people (especially if it is loud and hysterical crying).
During pregnancy, it is not recommended to cry, as feelings are transmitted from mother to baby.
During public speaking, as it interferes with clearly expressing thoughts.
When parting (especially if it is long and by crying, we only upset our loved one).

Despite the fact that there are many more disadvantages of crying than advantages, they are sometimes so insignificant that you don’t even pay attention to them. Who, for example, when crying with great grief, thinks about their attractiveness? When we cry, we express our feelings, emotions, experiences and mood, and this is not bad, and much better than holding back.

“The strong do not cry,” we have heard since childhood. No, that’s not true, the strong cry too, it’s just that no one knows. But it’s best to cry not from grief, frustration, resentment, but from joy. And then such crying will be 100% beneficial.

Coming into this world, we first learn to cry, and only then laugh. Our first tears become a mechanism of influence on the adults around us. It is with the help of tears that we notify them that we are hungry, tired or want to sleep. And, sometimes, we manipulate with tears and achieve that we, small children, are picked up. We get older, mature, and we already have other ways of expressing feelings and desires. Oh, tears? We begin to be ashamed of them and cry less and less. In the adult world, such a manifestation of feelings is called weakness. Therefore, by pushing emotions inside, we learn to control ourselves. But there are also tears of joy, in special and touching moments of life...

Today we will talk about tears

, about
what tears are,
what they are like and we will try to answer the most important question -
is it useful or harmful to express your feelings in such a “tearful” way...

Tears to cleanse the body

Scientists have proven that at the moment of crying, the human body is freed from harmful chemicals.

, which stimulate stress - catecholamines.

These substances pose the greatest danger to a growing body, so it is not surprising that children and adolescents cry much more often than adults.

In fact, it is not in vain that, especially in childhood, nature gave people this unusual cleansing mechanism - crying, and also wisely endowed them with an appropriate character.

Physiology of crying

At the moment when a person experiences stress, a focus of irritation appears in the cerebral cortex, which activates various functions of the body: breathing, movements, the activity of the endocrine and exocrine glands change, the smooth muscles of the urethra and rectum receive relaxation.

That is why, often in moments of severe fear, a person experiences involuntary urination or irritable bowel syndrome.

If a person is overcome by strong emotions that carry emotional pain, then he begins to cry, sob, and break into a scream, thereby reducing the excitation of the cerebral cortex and protecting him.

The function of the physiology of crying is protective: it protects the eyes from external contaminants and foreign objects. The upper eyelids blink constantly, distributing tears across the surface of the eye, from the upper to the lower eyelid.

Tear fluid moistens the surface of the cornea and conjunctiva, removing excess from them. The tear flows to the recess located in the inner corner of the eye along the upper and lower lacrimal canals, ending up in the so-called lacrimal sac.

In addition to protecting the eye, tear fluid nourishes the cornea, which lacks blood vessels. Due to the fact that tears fill small defects located on the surface of the cornea, vision is significantly improved.

Why do people cry when stressed?

People cry for two reasons: experiencing either physiological pain or emotional distress. Scientists have proven that crying plays a very important role in maintaining human health, both physical and psychological.

Anyone knows: tears relax you emotionally and help you cope with stress more easily.
However, not everyone knows that tear fluid is an excellent means of removing waste and toxins from the body
, which are usually excreted in urine and sweat.

When we are under stress, the body produces very harmful substances, leucine-enkephalin and prolactin, which only tears can remove

Stress involves tension throughout the nervous system. Thus, by giving free rein to tears, a person significantly reduces nervous tension. Therefore, most psychologists are unanimous that tears are a powerful anti-stress agent.

Crying heals

But you need to cry easily, without hysterics and strain, feeling the relief and benefits of therapeutic crying, and without bringing the nervous system to exhaustion. There is an opinion among psychologists that people who can easily burst into tears when reading a sad book or when watching a movie with a heartbreaking scene, in real life, endure critical situations more courageously than those who are usually stingy with tears.

Any psychologist will confirm that crying heals psychologically and promotes liberation from anger, resentment, helplessness, at a time when a person is no longer able to control himself.

If there are no tears at all, then you should be examined by a doctor, as this is an indicator of mental illness. Naturally, this does not apply to those who force themselves to hold back tears.

But such self-control will not bring anything good, because the person himself suppresses his strong emotions. Unshed tears will subsequently make the body of its owner cry, which will manifest itself in the form of allergies, runny nose and other diseases.

By the way, from a psychological point of view, crying is very useful, because such an insidious disease as cancer arises due to the suppression of one’s emotions, that is, tears

Is crying beneficial or harmful? You can and even need to cry!

A person is born, and the first sound he makes is crying. During the first year of life, this is how a person communicates with the world and people - by crying. It has so many shades that the mother almost always knows what the baby needs. And then, growing up, very often the child hears: “don’t cry, you’re already big,” “ah-ah-ah, what a shame to cry,” “men don’t cry.”

From childhood, the axiom is laid down - crying is bad. Laughter increases life expectancy - this is proven by science. What about crying? Is crying good or bad?

Why are tears needed?

You can cry from pain, from grief, from happiness, from the wind or onions. After watching a romantic or sad film, we involuntarily brush away a tear. Having hit the child, he bursts into tears. Having lost a loved one, it is simply impossible to hold back tears. Tears help cope with emotional overload. And not only:

protect eyes from the adverse effects of external factors;
increase life expectancy;
help remove harmful substances from the body;
are being treated.

Crying is good - most scientists agree on this conclusion.

Fact 1: Tears cleanse the body

The human body contains a substance called catecholamine, a stress stimulant. When you cry, catecholamine is released along with your tears , meaning tears help relieve stress and remove harmful chemicals from the body.

Catecholamine is the most harmful to the child's body. Therefore, the frequent crying of children in any situation that is incomprehensible or unpleasant for them is a protective reaction of the body that preserves the physical and psychological health of the growing organism.

Fact 2: Tears protect the eyes

Mechanical (reflex) tears moisturize, cleanse and protect the eyes . They help protect them under the following unfavorable conditions:

difficult weather conditions - wind, heat;
sitting for long periods in front of a TV or computer monitor;
deterioration of the environmental situation - dust, smog, exhaust.

Sometimes natural tears are not enough. In such cases, artificial tears are recommended - special eye drops that act in the same way as reflex tears, protecting the eyes from overwork and external influences.

Fact 3: Tears prolong life

Women live longer than men. There are many reasons for this. One of them is that women cry more often . Is it healthy to cry when you are in pain - physical or emotional? Or should I endure it? The men are trying their best to hold back their tears. This begins in childhood, when the boy is taught that real men do not cry. Boys get into all sorts of adventures much more often and get bumps and abrasions more often. But remembering the suggestion of mom and dad, they try not to cry. Thus, emotions are driven inside, and then manifest themselves either as excessive aggression or, in later life, diseases of the cardiovascular system.

That's why it's good to cry rather than bury your emotions.

Fact 4: Tears in company

The experiments that scientists conduct with crybabies (crying in the company of a person who sympathizes and supports) are not entirely indicative. A person will cry differently when he knows he is being watched. Emotions and tears are therefore not entirely real. But still, the vast majority of people participating in the experiment say that they felt better when they cried.

An interesting feature has also been revealed. It is more comfortable for a crying person to cry in company, when people feel sorry for him, console him, and show sympathy.

When tears don't bring relief

There is a category of people for whom tears do not bring relief. And there are also those who feel worse from crying. Psychologists say that this is not entirely normal: something is wrong with the person’s psychological state.

Is crying harmful or beneficial - now the question has been resolved and scientifically proven. It is worth remaining yourself and not resisting the functions inherent in a person by nature. Someone who is more whiny and emotional loves to be pitied. Psychologists advise people who are more reserved in society to cry alone. Still, tears help relieve stress, make you feel better and heal wounds.

Is it good for children to cry?

The child begins to cry with real tears 1.5 months after his birth. By this time, his lacrimal glands are fully formed. When a baby is just born, his eyes secrete “basal tears,” which moisten the rough cornea, making it smoother and protecting the eyes from infection.

Usually babies cry when they feel hungry, or they have a dirty diaper or wet diapers. Children very much need parental love, so one of the reasons for crying may be a lack of attention to a small family member.

Of course, there is no need to create a “cult of the child” at home, but it is also wrong to give less love. If your baby cries intermittently, as if listening to whether you are nearby or not, it means he needs communication. By and large, there can be many reasons for a child’s crying, but if a child is often capricious and cries, then he should be seen by a doctor.

Children usually do not think about whether crying is good for them, they are not ashamed of their emotions and do not understand why adults forbid them to show them. At the moment when a child cries, parents need to talk to him or her so that he or she can express their grievances, pain or other reason that provoked the child's tears.

Adults often make the mistake of starting to scold and yell at their child, when everything can be solved much simpler - calmly communicate with the child and let him feel your love and understanding. It is easier to calm a child when he just starts crying, and not when he is already sobbing at the top of his voice.

Women's tears

It is generally accepted that until the age of 12, both boys and girls cry, then, mostly, only girls shed tears.
The reason that women cry more often than men is constant changes in a woman's hormonal background. The level of hormones in men is rarely subject to changes, while in women this happens quite often, therefore the mood of the latter changes more often, which is reflected in the mental and physical state.

Today, women have achieved unprecedented heights in careers, politics, business, and so on. However, no matter how strong a woman is in public, in the family circle she remains weak and sometimes allows herself to cry. Men usually cannot stand women's tears, since they are overcome by the most contradictory feelings, and they agree to do anything just to stop the waterfall of tears.

Knowing that women's tears often serve as manipulation in achieving any desires, men sometimes do not understand when a woman cries sincerely and when she is simply manipulating them.

But often strong women cry from resentment, pity, loneliness, powerlessness, while very rarely a man can see these tears. However, if this happens, then the woman should not be given advice at this time - she just needs support and sympathy at this moment.

Men's tears

Boys are taught from an early age that he is a future man, which means he should not cry. Of course, grown men don't usually cry in public. They experience all their emotions within themselves. And at the same time, without giving vent to his emotions, a man harms his psyche.

The tears of men are often called stingy, since it is unethical to demonstrate their feelings in public. However, when you notice a man with a tear running down his cheek, it means he is feeling very, very bad.

Women react differently to men's tears: those who are wiser treat this with understanding and sympathy, while others begin to humiliate the man, considering him weak and weak-willed.

This position is fundamentally wrong, because men, just like women, have souls, they tend to feel pain and disappointment, they worry about their children no less than mothers, no less than women worry about relationships, and they also need warmth and affection .

Strong men cry

A man who allows himself not to restrain his emotions is not weak, but on the contrary, strong, because he is not afraid of universal condemnation. Most often, men cry when they are alone, and they, like women, can cry buried in a pillow.

If men suppress their feelings, then at a certain point the internal mental pain becomes so strong that they turn to alcohol. But a man who becomes an alcoholic or drug addict is already definitely weak.

Society imposes on us norms of behavior, observing which we often lead ourselves to mental disorders and various diseases. Statistics show that men live much shorter lives than women, as they are more likely to have heart attacks. And, most likely, this happens precisely because men do not cry, but carry all the pain inside themselves, breaking their hearts into small pieces.

Crying is good for you

No matter what nerves of steel a person has, crying is good for both physical and psychological well-being. Tears bring relief, but if you feel like crying too often, then you should understand your state of mind and understand what exactly is the cause of increased tearfulness. If you cannot do this yourself, you should contact a specialist.

Therefore, the advice from the learning and self-development portal is simple: do not be afraid to cry and show your emotions, because by keeping them to yourself, you significantly undermine your health. But it is best that your tears are tears of joy, because only they can replace all other types of crying and deprive us of all emotional and psychological stress, which is what I wish for you. In addition, to cry less often, read, and.

In difficult moments, tears just come, sometimes you want to literally burst into tears, the emotional stress is so great. In such a situation, is it necessary to hold back tears and try not to cry? It is not necessary! In this way, you can relieve nervous excitement and relax, but what you really shouldn’t do is enter a depressive state, accompanied by long, debilitating crying. Let's find out why you shouldn't cry a lot and how it can affect your health.

Is crying healthy or are tears harmful to your health?

Tears are a manifestation of feelings and emotions.
Sometimes positive, sometimes negative. We can cry both from pain and from joy - this is a normal physiological reaction to an acute condition. Crying is also different. What kind of tears are useful? And is crying bad for your health? Scientists divide tears into two types: reflexive (mechanical) and emotional.

Reflex tears

– this type of tears is quite functional, as it moisturizes the mucous surface of the eye, cleanses it, protects it from friction and irritation, and from the influences of the external environment – dust, litter, wind. For example, in the cold autumn wind, tears come to your eyes, but not at all because you are so immersed in the autumn landscape. It is noteworthy that this type of tears is also found in animals.

One of the main biological features of the lacrimal glands and ducts is their ability, when a pain signal enters the human brain, to release active substances along with tears, which accelerate the healing processes of bruises and wounds. So, if you hurt yourself, don’t be ashamed of your tears, but start recovery programs in your body.

Emotional tears

– this is already the result of our experiences. It is interesting that such a reaction to positive or negative incidents is characteristic only of humans. In psychology there is even a special term - “adaptation”. So, emotional tears help a person adapt to the situation, accept what happened, and cope with stress more easily. Such tears help to cope not only with mental but also physical pain; they have a special bactericidal property and can stimulate the production of breast milk in a nursing mother. These tears contain a lot of protein.

Tears are a sign of an emotional response to a situation. Reaction

- This is a way to relieve accumulated tension and get rid of excess stress. It often happens that stress is not directly related to the cause of our tears. For example, stress accumulates at work or study, and the reaction occurs while watching a lyrical film about love or a humorous program, simultaneously with laughter. These are all completely natural reactions.

According to psychologists, most often people cry out of grief, less often out of happiness. But other emotions do not cause such manifestations of feelings in people.

Scientists have officially proven that people who give free rein to tears are less likely to suffer from cardiovascular diseases. But the trouble is, the older we get, the less often our eyes are moistened with such reflexive tears. With age, this ability to secrete mechanical tears gradually disappears, which is why the eyes of old people look dull and seem to have lost their color pigment.

Are tears beneficial or harmful?

A negative, in a sense, manifestation of tears can be called an uncontrollable hysterical reaction, when a person cries, screams and cannot stop for more than 2-3 hours.
In part, this is also a normal reaction during times of severe stress or the loss of a loved one. Such severe emotionally charged states need to be compensated after some time; they can be traumatic for the psyche. Drink a light sedative, eat a good tasty meal, and be sure to get enough sleep. If the tearful state continues for more than one or two days, if there is no obvious reason, if it manifests itself too emotionally and does not change its acute intensity, then you should seek help from a doctor or psychologist.

As for social norms, each society has its own, and a person can independently choose to show his emotions or postpone a reaction until a more socially “safe” or comfortable situation.

It may be harder for men in this sense, but there is nothing shameful about it. We are all human and we have emotions. It is important to remember that constantly suppressing your emotions and emotional responses

, we harm ourselves. Of course, we will retain some social status, but sensitivity will be lost over time. And for a healthy and happy life, the ability to feel and express your feelings is a must.

Causes of tears in men and women

Researchers from Tilburg University surveyed 5,000 people.
Those surveyed explained what could make them cry. Overall, women cried 4 times more often than men when something bad happened. However, tears of joy appeared more often in the eyes of men, says The Daily Mail. On average, men and women cried about the same things. The reason for the tears could be the death of a loved one, separation from the other half, or nostalgia. Most often, people cried from powerlessness. The fair sex also often cried over little things, such as conflicts, criticism or computer breakdowns.

Men could not hold back tears of joy, for example, when their favorite team won an important match. In some hot African countries, men cried as often as women. But in cold European countries, women cried much more often than men. The colder it was in the country, the more often women cried.

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How does crying for a long time affect your appearance?

Every person who has cried at least once in their life is familiar with a swollen face with swollen eyes. Tears are a salty liquid and act on the skin not like water, but like a concentrated saline solution. It is therefore not surprising that the skin reacts to this with redness, irritation and loss of aesthetic appearance. The eyes are especially affected by crying. They swell, the eyelids become like tightly stuffed bags. With prolonged crying, this state persists for a long time, and if you had to cry a lot, say, before going to bed, then the next morning you can find two narrow slits instead of wide open eyes.

Red, tear-stained eyes do not at all serve as decoration for one’s appearance, therefore, with an ingrained habit of constantly crying, there is a risk of losing one’s attractiveness. In turn, this factor entails new troubles - a depressive state arises from discomfort and self-doubt, which again manifests itself in constant crying and hysterics. Sometimes, to break out of such a vicious circle, the help of a qualified specialist is required.

Reflection of crying on mood

Crying for a long time also negatively affects a person’s mood. After prolonged sobbing, a person feels exhausted, his nervous system is in an exhausted state, it is not capable of any other emotions. Often people fall into apathy and become indifferent to the events around them. Many people experience extreme drowsiness. And if crying has become a regular and quite common thing, then a person is constantly in this position, so it is not surprising that it is quite difficult to get out of such depression on your own.

Harm from sobbing

Considering the benefits that tears bring to the human body, can we conclude that we should cry at every opportunity? Not at all.

Dutch scientists have concluded that excessively intense sobbing can cause harm . The nervous system of most people is designed in such a way that crying for a long time can unnecessarily overwork it. Then, instead of relief, the person will feel emptiness and indifference to everything that is happening. The time it takes the body to cope with such a condition and stabilize the emotional background mainly depends on the innate characteristics of each individual.

There are people for whom crying is not at all recommended. These are men and women who suffer from excessive anxiety and have severe emotional disorders. Sobbing can provoke a deterioration in their condition.

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A physically and mentally healthy person can allow himself to cry. Crying in solitude or in the presence of loved ones who can understand and sympathize is very beneficial for the nervous system and for the body as a whole. The main thing is not to abuse it and not drive yourself into hysterics. It’s even better to learn not to take minor events to heart. Then tears of joy will appear in your eyes much more often, and they, without a doubt, will only bring benefits.

Reflection of crying on health

Prolonged crying negatively affects not only the nervous system, but also the entire body as a whole. Scientists have proven that a good positive attitude prolongs a person’s life and maintains the functioning of his organs at the proper level. With depression and negative experiences, the body’s protective resources sharply decrease, the immune system weakens, and a person becomes more vulnerable to various viruses and bacteria.

There is also a risk of infection directly to the organs of vision. When we cry, we usually wipe our eyes, either with our hands or with a handkerchief, the sterility of which, of course, we do not think about. Irritated, inflamed eyes are a good channel for infection to enter the body.

Many people have heard that crying is good for you. This hypothesis has been repeatedly confirmed by scientifically proven facts. The main function of tears is that they allow a person to see.

Literally. Tears moisturize the eyeballs and eyelids and prevent dehydration of various mucous membranes. Lack of lubrication implies lack of vision. Jerry Bergman writes: “Without tears, life would be radically different for people, and vision would be completely lost.”

Humans' own antibacterial and antiviral agent, these are tears; they have many positive functions:

fights off all germs;
protects against the harmful effects of a computer, smartphone and TV;
helps remove foreign objects that interfere with vision and much more.

Crying is also useful in various stressful situations. In this case, this function helps relieve tension. People who cry during nervous tension feel much better. Their emotional health is higher, it is easier for them to survive all the difficult moments in life.

Biochemist William Frey, who studied this function of the body, found that emotional tears—those that occur during trouble or grief—contain more toxic byproducts than tears of irritation. They remove toxins from the body that accumulate due to stress. They are similar to natural therapy or a massage session.

Answering the question regarding whether crying is good for you when you are stressed? The answer is yes, crying is quite useful and helps restore a person’s emotional and physical health.

Doctors' opinions on crying

Experienced psychologists explain in detail why crying is useful. Their explanations allow us to draw a clear picture of the usefulness of this emotion and how it affects the general state of a person. Scientists say that people developed tears as a tool of self-defense.

They moisturize the mucous membrane and are used as a means of survival. Evolutionary biologist Oren Hasson theorized that humans use tears to show others that they are vulnerable.

When most people see a crying face, they feel the urge to ask what's wrong, offer help or empathy. Emotional tears indicate a person's willingness to trust and become connected to supportive communities.

Men tend to have this emotion. At this moment they open their inner world and release negative emotions. Is it good to cry? The answer is yes, this should be done at least occasionally. Otherwise, there is a high probability of developing psychological disorders and serious stress. It is important to always remember this and try to periodically show such emotions.

Moreover, this can be done without anyone’s presence.

What are the benefits of tears for a person?

It makes 9 out of 10 people feel lighter, reduces stress and can help keep the body healthy. This form of emotional release is free, available to almost everyone, and has no known side effects other than red eyes and runny makeup.

Crying is not itself

It is the best anti-stress remedy, but recent studies show that it is very effective in healing, and that it improves the mood of 88.8% of respondents, and only 8.4% feel worse. So beneficial that researchers suggest that anyone who finds themselves in a difficult life situation should have a good cry and feel better, an activity that is beneficial for women.

Laughter and anger have their benefits. Laughter has been shown to promote:

healing;
increased blood flow;
reducing the level of stress hormones;
boosting the immune system.

But why are tears useful? Emotional tears come from the same tear glands that produce fluid that forms a protective film over the eyeballs. As a result, the organ is able to get rid of irritants and releases excess fluid when the eye becomes irritated or a foreign body enters it.

Therefore, if a girl suddenly bursts into tears, you shouldn’t be scared right away; maybe a speck has gotten into her eye.

Analgesic effect

Emotional tears help reduce pain. Crying acts as a natural analgesic. The analgesic effect is achieved due to the release of endorphins and oxytocin.

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Often people are embarrassed to cry, even if tears come. However, research has proven that constantly suppressing crying is very harmful to health. If a person keeps his emotions inside, this can cause pain and psychosomatic pathologies.

The meaning of crying for a person’s emotional state

The phenomenon supports the so-called recovery theory that emotional tears and their contents are one way to bring the body back into balance after a stressful event. The concentration of chemicals harmful to humans increases during emotional stress, and can be removed from the body through tears. That is, when a person cries in difficult situations, he frees his body from harmful toxins and emotions. Because unresolved stress can increase the risk of heart attack and damage certain areas of the human brain, people's ability to cry has survival value.

Other evidence supports the theory. Tears associated with emotions have been shown to have higher levels of certain proteins, manganese and potassium, and hormones, including prolactin, than simple tearing due to a foreign object entering the eye or irritation. Manganese is an essential nutrient that helps prevent slow blood clotting, skin problems and lower cholesterol levels. Potassium is involved in nerve function, muscle control and blood pressure.

Prolactin is a hormone involved in stress and plays a role in the immune system and other body functions. Its involvement in crying may help explain why women cry more than men.

Women have more prolactin than men, and levels rise during pregnancy, when the frequency of crying among women increases significantly.

Physiology and emotions

Sometimes a person's eyes become moist on their own, but sometimes there is a good reason for this. Understanding this issue in detail, scientists have identified three types of tears:

Basal (invisible) . A small amount of tear fluid is constantly produced by the glands, but a person does not even notice their appearance, since after getting into the eye they are immediately washed off through drainage tubes specially designed for this purpose. Basal tears protect the eye from drying out and help fight dust.
Reflex (physiological) . They are produced to protect against natural influences and moisturize the eyeball. For example, reflex tears are released when cutting an onion or when a foreign object enters the eye.
Emotional . Appear due to experiences (both sad and joyful). An example would be tears caused by a wedding, funeral, declaration of love, or breakup.

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Interestingly, the types of tears differ not only in the reason for their appearance, but also in their chemical composition. Biochemist W. Frey conducted a number of studies, which revealed that emotional tears contain more protein than reflex tears. The scientist suggests that in this way the body gets rid of certain chemicals, thereby reducing overall stress levels.