Why Crying is Good For Your Health

Why Crying is Good For Your Health | Caseyopticaltoo Blog

Humans cry for a variety of reasons, including happiness, sadness, overload, or even just the act of slicing onions. In actuality, there are three different types of tears that we can experience depending on the situation. Basal tears are what first protect your eyes from debris. Even if a bit of dust gets in your eye occasionally, these tears are always there to keep your eyes clean and free of bacteria. Reflex tears can also develop as a response to airborne irritants like smoke, onion odors, or chemicals from cleaning solutions. Your vision won't be affected because these tears will remove the irritants. Emotional tears, which various emotions can bring on, are the last tears category. Most of us have experienced them for happiness, empathy, guilt, and "other powerful emotions," although melancholy may be the typical cause.

What's in our tears?

It should come as no surprise that water makes up the majority of tears. Yet, they also include more than 1,500 proteins, fatty acids, and salt. The three layers of tears and how any imbalance in them might cause dry eyes were previously covered in detail to stop you from constantly crying; your mucus layer keeps the moisture in your eyes linked to the eye. The oily layer prevents the eye's water from evaporating, while the aqueous layer hydrates the eye and flushes microorganisms.

Strangely, you could have highly wet eyes with a dry eye illness. It occurs because your eyes try to make up for the absence of one of the three components by producing too much of the other two. As we age, we also generate fewer basal tears, which is why you can notice that your eyes become dryer with time. Hormonal changes brought on by pregnancy and menopause might also cause this. It would help to balance these three factors to ensure optimal eye health properly.

Why do people cry?

Your lacrimal glands release tears when your eyes are aggravated. Over each eye, between the outside edge of your eyelid and brow, are these glands. Reflex tears are the natural response of your body to wash away irritants, and they are produced in this situation. Reflex tears frequently occur as a result of the following:

  • Onions (particularly syn-propanediol-S-oxide the gas it releases when you cut) (specifically syn-propanediol-S-oxide, the gas it emits when you cut it)
  • Chemical fumes, dust
  • using a screen
  • glaring lights
  • strong odors
  • reading small print or maintaining sustained eye concentration

Even at the most basic level, it's clear that tears help us feel better after pain or strong emotions. Because crying is believed to offer "pain-relieving effects" and is the body's natural response to intense physical discomfort, experiencing pain can frequently cause tears to flow. Similarly, it is thought that crying out of emotion has calming effects that lower our heart rates and calm us down. We'll go into more detail about the advantages of these kinds of tears later.

Our several types of tears

People cry for various causes, such as physical discomfort, mental stress, and as a reflex to foreign objects getting into their eyes.

But not every tear is created equal. We shed three different kinds of tears. Some things are included:

  • Basal tears feed and moisturize your eyes while safeguarding the cornea. They are always in your eyes to keep them clean and debris-free.
  • Tears of emotion come from emotional stimuli like sadness, joy, fear, and more.
  • Spontaneous tears are the ones you shed when something gets in your eye, such as dust, dirt, smoke, or another particle. These tears aid in washing the hazardous shards away.

Your health depends on each type of tear. Here are five justifications:

1. Tears offer the eyes a layer of defense

The type of tears known as basal tears, despite not being your "typical sobbing," is crucial to the foundation of eye health. Your eyes always contain basal tears to shield the cornea (the eye's surface).

These tears help to keep debris out of your eyes by washing them every time you blink. Also, it keeps the eyes hydrated and healthy.

The tear film that covers the eye's surface is also responsible for transporting nutrients and oxygen to the eyes.

2. Weeping cleans your eyes of dust and debris

Even though basal tears are good at keeping out contaminants, sometimes they get through, especially when it's dusty or sandy outside.

To relieve discomfort and lower the chance of eye infections, crying can help wash these irritants out of the eyes. It is thought that these tears contain a significant number of antibacterial antibodies.

Furthermore, your body naturally produces reflex tears to help you expel pollutants, so you don't always need to force yourself to cry to do so. (If you've ever had a particle of dirt, an eyelash, or a contact lens put in backward, you may have observed that your eyes begin to tear up on their own.

3. Tears help prevent dry eye

One must have sufficient tears to prevent and treat eye dryness. It occurs due to the moisture barrier that tears give the eye'seye's surface.

Sometimes a person'sperson's tears may not be adequate, or they may not be produced in sufficient quantities. Dry eye syndrome is brought on as a result of this. It is frequent and straightforward to treat dry eye problems.

If dry eye syndrome is present, a person may also experience light sensitivity, blurred vision, or a burning or scratchy sensation in their eyes. Artificial tears or ointments that assist in keeping eyes moist are frequently used to address these symptoms.

4. Weeping hormones that reduce pain

Crying is not only surface-level. As you call it, endogenous opioids and oxytocin are released, providing the body with a natural means of reducing pain brought on by stressful conditions, whether physical or psychological.

The temptation to cry can come over you if you've ever experienced overwhelming stress at work or home. Furthermore, acting on this need can benefit you by allowing you to let go of all the tension you have been carrying around.

5. Cleans the body out

Your eyes are cleared of dust and smoke by reflex tears. Your eyes are kept lubricated and protected from infection by constant tears. Tears of emotion could be healthy for you. Emotional tears contain stress hormones and other poisons. Continuous tears, on the other hand, are mostly water (98 percent). There needs to be more research, but it has been thought that crying helps your body eliminate these things.

Conclusion

It's crucial to remember that your body can require additional comfort beyond simple crying. For instance, you might need assistance from a medical practitioner if you frequently experience emotional tiredness, worry, or discomfort.

If you have an eye infection or debris in your eyes that your tears can't be removed, consult an eye doctor immediately. Schedule an appointment with Casey Optical Too best optometrists in Albuquerque New Mexico, if your eyes are constantly watering or not tearing up.

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