Crying: Why we cry and the benefits of it
It's okay to cry – even the Queen sheds a few tears on some occasions. Photo: Getty
Crying happens to the best of us – it is triggered by a range of feelings.
According to neuroscientist D William H Frey II, who has spent over 20 years studying crying, said that it is healthy.
“Crying is not only a human response to sorrow and frustration, it’s a healthy one.”
Research recorded in How Feelings Link the Brain, the Body and the Sixth Sense shows that “85 per cent of women and 73 per cent of men reported feeling less sad or angry after crying”.
How does crying happen?
This fluid is known as a tear and occurs for different reasons.
What is the reason we cry?
There are three main reasons as to why someone may cry.
Firstly, the human body produces nearly two kilograms of basal tears each day.
A basal tear keeps the eyes from drying out however they also drain the nasal cavity.
Secondly, someone may cry due to the reflex tear that protects the eye from smoke or dusty winds.
This tear is created by the sensory nerves in your cornea that communicates with your brain about irritation. This sends hormones to the glands in the eyelid that produces the reflex tear.
The last reason we cry is related to the emotional tear which occurs when sadness (or sometimes happiness) is registered.
According to How Stuff Works the “endocrine system is triggered to release hormones to the ocular area” which causes the tear to form.
Some believe that an emotional cry is the best way to release toxins from the body.
Barack Obama began crying after speaking about his grandmother at a rally in 2008. Photo: Getty
What are the benefits of crying?
Crying has been linked to improving one’s health and recharging the body from any negative feelings.
It lowers an individuals blood pressure and pulse rate which reduces the chance of a stroke, heart failure or dementia.
Crying also removes toxins such as cortisol from the body which builds up during a stressful situation.
Lastly, it can reduce an individuals manganese level that affects a persons mood. An overexposure to manganese can cause mood swings, anxiety and fatigue.
