People who cry often have a reputation for being emotionally unstable. This common belief causes many to restrain their feelings and not splash them out. But doctors say that by accumulating negative emotions, we do harm to health. Tears not only tell others about your mood, but and beneficial to the body.
The editorial staff of estet-portal.com talks about whether it is good to cry and why it should not hold back tears.
- What are tears in body for
- Is it good to cry: 5 reasons not hold back your tears
- Holding back tears: a sign of strength or a bad habit
- With who and where is it better to cry enough
- Situations where tears don relieve the condition
What are tears in body for
A thin film covers the eye. It doesn should not be dry. Therefore, the tear fluid drains and stays on the film. 1 ml per day is enough to keep the eye constantly moisturized.
The composition of the tear is unique: 98% — it is water, 1.5% — sodium chloride (salt), the rest — lipid fat and lysozyme. Lipids — this is the surface layer of the tear. He does let it evaporate. Lysozyme has an antibacterial effect. It kills germs that come in from the external environment. But the chemical composition of tear fluid changes depending on your emotional state.
Is it good to cry: 5 reasons not hold back tears
The cause for tears is various emotional states. Physiologists define several types of tears and explain why crying is soothing:
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Tears during stress. During shock, a person releases stress hormones: adrenaline and cortisol. They get not only into the blood, but also into the lacrimal fluid. If we cry, then the body gets rid of stress hormones. By reducing the concentration of cortisol and adrenaline, a person "discharges". Tears under stress bring relief.
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Tears of joy. The hormonal background changes in response to the psychological state. When we are in high spirits, the body produces the hormones of joy: serotonin and endorphin. Tears of joy increase the production of serotonin. Your mood improves and you feel happy.
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Tears of pain. In response to physical pain, a person involuntarily begins to cry — This is a defensive reaction of the body. In this case, the chemical composition of tears includes a substance similar to morphine. Tears dull the perception of pain and contribute to the healing of the wound.
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Mean male tears. It would seem that the tears of women and men should not differ. However, the composition of male tears includes the male hormone testosterone. It suppresses stress hormones. In addition, tears remove excess testosterone, and the man becomes less aggressive. Male hormone levels decrease with age. Therefore, the older the man, the more often he cries.
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Mechanical tears. They are not related to emotions. This is a reflex of our body. Physiological tears protect the eyes from infection and dryness. Dry eyes suffer from those people who spend a lot of time in front of the TV or monitor. They are advised to blink more often. The upper eyelids distribute the tear film over the surface of the eye.
Read also: Negative emotions: splash out or suppress
Holding back tears: a sign of strength or a bad habit
It is believed that tears — lot of the weak. It is not so. In fact, it takes a lot of strength to decide to throw out your emotions and cry.
Small babies cry a lot. This is how they communicate about their emotions: pain, fear, hunger, resentment, etc. etc.
With age, a person learns to control his mood and cries less. Negative feelings don't come out. They choke you. At best it ends in a headache, at worst — psychosomatic illness — from gastric ulcers and hypertension to bronchial asthma and oncology.
With who and where it is better to cry enough
Cultural attitudes do not allow us to cry at work or in the presence of people who are critical of us. But holding back tears is bad. Find a secluded place and let your emotions out. You will feel relieved.
Crying is beneficial and calming when there is a friend around who can understand your emotions. So if you want to cry, find the "right" person. He will support you, sympathize and, most importantly — you will not be ashamed of your "weakness".
Situations in when tears don relieve the condition
When you are depressed for a long time, tears will not help. See your doctor if crying doesn't get better. You may have an anxiety disorder or clinical depression. The specialist will determine your psycho-emotional well-being and help to cope with hypersensitivity.
Read also: Psychosomatics of diseases: how emotions and thoughts affect our health
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