Tears are the liquid secreted by the lacrimal gland. They consist almost entirely (up to 99%) of water. The rest is inorganic substances: sodium chloride (this is the basis of table salt - hence the salty taste of tears), calcium sulfate and phosphate, sodium and magnesium carbonate.
Tears also contain lysozyme, an enzyme that gives them antibacterial properties, and oleamide, which forms the basis of an oily layer that prevents moisture from evaporating.
Why are tears needed at all?
They perform several important functions. Tears supply the cornea of the eye, which has no blood vessels, with all the necessary nutrients, clean the surface of the eyeball from foreign particles and maintain the normal functioning of the organ of vision.
Tears secreted to moisturize and protect the eyes are called reflex, or physiological. And those that are associated with any experiences are considered emotional. Scientists have long established a neural connection between the tear glands and the area of the brain responsible for emotions.
So crying is part of what makes us human.
Do animals cry?
Animals definitely produce physiological tears. It is believed that our smaller brothers cannot experience emotions close to human ones. This means they don’t cry from worry. But the more scientists study this topic, the more they become convinced that not everything is so simple.
For example, University of Colorado Professor Emeritus Marc Bekoff mentioned Do Elephants Weep as an Emotional Response? about scientific research that confirms that elephants and other animals may cry in response to emotional distress. In his opinion, this issue requires deeper study.
What about crocodile tears?
Crocodiles actually cry while they eat. But not because they supposedly feel sorry for the victim. Tears are secreted due to excess salts in the body of alligators. And the process of eating food mechanically activates their release.
Turtles, iguanas, and sea snakes cry in the same way.
Is it true that there are different types of tears?
American biochemist William Frey found that emotional tears differ in chemical composition from physiological tears caused by irritation from the caustic fumes of onions. It turned out that the former contain more proteins. Frey suggested that in this way the body gets rid of chemicals, the release of which was provoked.
This is why emotional tears are more viscous and are more visible on the skin. They may also contain stress hormones and other substances found in excess in the body, such as manganese.
So it's good to cry?
Research shows that people with stomach ulcers and colitis (common stress-related illnesses) tend to cry less often than people without such disorders.
Ad Vingerhoets, a professor at Tilburg University, concluded after extensive research that many people feel worse immediately after crying. But after an hour and a half, their emotional state stabilizes. And then it gets better than it was before they started crying.
Lauren M. Bylsma from the University of Pittsburgh found out When is crying cathartic?: An international study. that people are more likely to feel better after crying that was caused by positive emotions, or if the tears helped to understand and realize something.
If the tears are caused by suffering or the person is ashamed of crying, he will feel worse.
Also, the condition will depend on the witnesses to the crying. Those who shed tears alone or in front of one person (especially if it was a supportive loved one) felt better than those who cried in front of two or more people.
Why do we cry not only from grief, but also from joy?
Crying is a protective reaction of the body in response to stress. And it can be caused by both negative and positive emotions. It doesn't matter what feelings caused the crying. Tears help the body recover faster from stress.
What is the reason that women cry more often than men?
Mainly with the common stereotype that crying is a sign of weakness. That’s why they simply try not to show tears in public. Surveys show that they actually cry much more often than they think. Just no witnesses.
The lack of restrictions associated with tears in the fairer sex may be one of the reasons that women, on average, live longer than men. More crying means less stress.
Scientists suggest that hormones influence the frequency of crying. Testosterone can suppress crying, and the female hormone prolactin most likely provokes it.
And one more important nuance. Dianne Van Hemert, Ph.D., a senior researcher at the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research, found that people in more affluent countries may cry more often because it is not socially frowned upon.
Are there people who don't cry?
The lacrimal glands of a healthy person usually produce from 0.5 to 1 milliliter of tears per day (an average of half a glass per year). Stress increases their number, and some diseases reduce it.
For example, dry eye is characteristic of Sjögren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease. Scientists have found that such patients suffer not only from discomfort associated with the eyes. It is often more difficult for them to understand and express their feelings and emotions, resolve conflicts, and establish connections with others. This once again proves the importance of tears and crying.
What if you can’t cry, but really want to?
- Try to control your breathing. Take several deep breaths through your nose and slowly exhale through your mouth.
- To hold back tears, you can blink quickly.
- Try to force a smile while looking at yourself in the mirror.
- Take a few sips of cold water, wash your face, and apply ice to your temples or forehead.
- Try to switch your attention to something neutral, start looking at some object, remember the multiplication table or the alphabet.
- Pinch yourself, bite your lip, but without fanaticism, so as not to cry from pain.
- Do a little exercise: wave your arms, turn your head, squat or do push-ups several times, stand for a couple of minutes.
- If tears are choking you, try screaming. Usually after this the emotional tension quickly subsides.
If possible, it is better not to hold back your tears. Don't rub your eyes, don't cry with your face into the pillow, apply a cold compress to your eyelids. All this will help you quickly get yourself in order.
Tears of different emotions differ in their structure!
Are tears of grief physically different from tears of joy? Photographer Rose-Lynn Fisher decided to find out what tears look like under a microscope. It turns out that the tears you produce to keep your eyes moist are radically different from the tears you produce when chopping onions. Tears from strong laughter cannot be compared with tears of grief. Each small drop, like a drop of ocean water, carries within itself a whole microcosm of human experiences. Lynn-Fisher called her project “Topography of Tears” because of the similarity of the arrangement of particles in tears with aerial photography or topographic maps. The idea came to her after she went through a difficult period in 2008, losing several people close to her.
Tears of laughter
Tears of unexpected change
Tears of grief
Tears from onions
There are three types of human tears: basal, reflex and emotional, differing in chemical composition. Basal tears are constantly secreted in small quantities, wetting the cornea and protecting the eyes from dust and bacteria. The second type of tears is the body's reaction to irritants, such as foreign particles, onion fumes, or tear gas. The third type includes tears from emotions, both negative and positive - they are released when a person cries. They contain specific hormones prolactin and ACTH in much higher concentrations compared to basal and reflex tears, which can be distinguished even by smell.
Basal, moisturizing tears
Tears of meeting after a long separation
Tears when something begins or ends
Tears of those singing the anthem
Tears of forgiveness
Tears of hope
Tears of delight and joy
Tears, as a rule, accompany sorrowful experiences. But why do we cry even in joy, why in a state of tenderness and delight do our eyes treacherously sparkle with tears? Is this a sign of weakness?
It turns out that tears are one of ours. Our body itself knows when we need to cry, so that it becomes easier for the soul and body; there is no point in resisting tears.
Of course, everyone noticed that after crying comes an amazing lightness and detachment from problems, no matter how insoluble and tragic they may be.
Scientists and philosophers for many centuries have been trying to figure out the nature of tears; there are many theories, some of which we will talk about today on the pages of the “Sleepy Cantata” website.
The nature of tears
Medicine gives the following definition:
Tears is a transparent liquid with a slightly pearlescent tint that nourishes, moisturizes and protects the cornea of the eye from drying out and foreign bodies. In addition to salts and water, the tear fluid contains antibacterial substances that protect the eyes from various infections.
Thus, tear production is an important physiological process; the eyes of a healthy person are always slightly moist.
There are two types of tears:
Reflex(physiological) - clean and moisturize the eyes, they are also characteristic of mammals;
Emotional- are characteristic only of humans, caused by a special mental state.
Theories of the origin of tears. From antiquity to the present day
In Ancient Rus', tears were called living water and they believed in their magical power: they were put on a par with rejuvenating apples, which was reflected in folk tales (after crying over her dead lover for three days and three nights, the beauty brought him back to life) and sayings: “Cry , it will become easier."
Modern biochemists have proven the cleansing and calming power of crying.
Chemical theory.
At the moment of nervous tension, both in joy and in grief, a person has strong emotions. At the moment of stress, processes are launched in the body that mobilize all its resources and increase overall resistance; stress hormones are produced, which, when accumulated, have a harmful effect on health. Tears and crying are a response to severe shock; they help remove stress hormones and achieve calm.
American biochemist V. Frey analyzed the tear fluid secreted by humans in different situations.
It turned out that there is more protein in emotional tears than in physiological ones. Stress hormones are known to be protein in nature. This means that during strong emotions our body gets rid of these hormones.
Never cry into your pillow!
Firstly, the pillow has the ability to absorb and accumulate negative energy, which will then return to you in the form of insomnia or.
Secondly, crying into a pillow blocks the access of oxygen to the respiratory tract, which can cause brain hypoxia, and, as a result, headache, redness of the eyes and face, and swelling. Cry standing or sitting to reduce swelling of your face and eyelids.
Afterwards, rinse your face with cold water. Eyelid lotions made from green tea or herbs will help relieve swelling from the eyes.
Tears of happiness
The tears we experience in moments of jubilation, joy, etc. are especially useful. What happens in the body is: the rhythm of breathing and heart contractions changes, the hormonal background and biochemical composition of the blood changes, stress is relieved (constriction of the blood vessels in the brain reduces its blood supply, the effect of “self-hypnosis” is observed).
I wish you to experience only tears of joy, and may bitter tears never spill from your eyes!
In conclusion, I offer a short video in which psychologist Tatyana Semashko talks about the benefits of tears.
I hope the article was useful. Comments and additions are always welcome!
Elena Valve for the project Sleepy Cantata.
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From the point of view of psychologists and doctors, ordinary crying is a normal, natural phenomenon. However, everything should be in moderation. If it occurs for no reason, then it is strange. When this happens more than once, you should seek qualified help from a specialist. Sometimes tears signal serious problems or malfunctions in the body that will not go away on their own without proper medication.
The first thing you should pay attention to when crying uncontrollably is your emotional state. Problems with the nervous system lead to unexpected emotions, for example, when congratulating the bride, a person may start crying. Tears can be so intense that the crying resembles hysteria.
The main reason for this condition is excessive fatigue. Brain cells get used to working without interruption, which causes malfunctions in the brain. The body is exhausted, and this is indicated by constant crying. Additional symptoms of fatigue include:
- irritability
- inattention
- outbursts of anger
- uncontrolled aggression
It is important to go to bed on time and take time off periodically, especially for young people. It seems that youth allows you to withstand any load, but this opinion is wrong. You need to take care of yourself at any age.
The next reason is human temperament. Biologists have divided temperament into four classifications:
- sanguine
- melancholic
- choleric
- phlegmatic person
Temperament influences a person's perception and reaction to various life situations.
Melancholic people are depressed people who are more prone to tearfulness than others. This is further influenced by predisposition, heredity and upbringing.
The third reason is a hormonal condition, this applies more to the female population. and menopause, women are prone to poor health, irritability, mood swings and excessive tearfulness. During menopause, the hormones for which a healthy egg was responsible cease to be produced. Now the body is preparing for aging, other hormones begin to actively enter the bloodstream, which serve as provocateurs of deep euphoria and depression.
At different times, people feel an irresistible urge to cry, this happens for various reasons: from joy and sadness, pain and happiness, anger, resentment, frustration. So why do you want to cry? – the answer to this question remains open for a long time. Different people have different versions, from scientific to religious and fantastic. After all, only a person is given the opportunity to open the door to his inner world in this way.
Provocateurs of tears
Tears in people can be caused by:
1. Reflex irritation of the eye mucosa. The first thing people think of is the effects of onion volatiles, although not only plants can cause tears. Reflexes are inherent in both humans and many animals, since they are exclusively protective biological in nature. This is the only way the body copes with unfavorable environmental conditions.
2. Strong emotions. The second reason is inherent only to humans, and everyone has their own explanations for it. Tears due to strong feelings and stress are considered defense mechanisms. In this way, the body splashes out an excess of emotions, normalizes blood pressure, removes harmful substances and relieves tension. Emotions do not necessarily have to be negative; the appearance of “tears of happiness” is quite possible.
3. Painful sensations. The tear ducts are put into operation by the nervous system, which is very naughty at the time of receiving a blow, injury, injection or other irritant. The pain reverberates throughout the body, which is why it is so difficult to hold back tears.
In any case, there is always a reason. Most often, it will be clear and logical, easily explainable both to yourself and to others.
Everything is clear with adults and their problems. What happens to children who seem to be unburdened by adult problems and concerns? Why does a child cry before going to bed? In addition to pain, children's tears cause:
- health problems;
- lack of mother's proximity;
- period of tooth growth;
- sleep disturbance.
There are versions that the reasons for crying are at the genetic level. By making himself known by crying loudly, the child signals to his parents that he is strong and strong. The baby also cries, having lost sight of his mother, in order to attract her attention to himself.
From a medical point of view, tears during crying wash the nasopharynx well. This prevents infection from entering the respiratory tract, since harmful substances are removed along with salty moisture.
In any case, first of all, you need to make sure that the baby is healthy and the cause of crying is not illness.
The best reason is “tears of happiness.” So why do people cry with happiness? Opinions differ greatly on this matter:
Some believe that tears are caused by a storm of positive emotions that take over a person during a joyful event.
Others think that tears are the result of some kind of relief. After all, the negative circumstances that surrounded a person for a certain time recede. Liberation takes its place.
Still others talk about biology. After all, it is she who explains the tears as a malfunction in the central nervous system, which was unable to properly react to a joyful event in life.
Virus of melancholy
It is much worse when a person cannot explain his own tears, and sometimes uncontrollable sobs, even to himself. Sometimes it is difficult to find the source of such a strong impulse. Such tears are often frightening.
Here the reason may lie in the distant, hidden corners of a person’s inner world. Religion calls such tears the cry of the soul, its cleansing from worldly dirt and sin. Psychologists look for causes in past events, as well as in the mental and emotional conditions of a person’s life.
Although it is most logical to remember depression, which arises due to various circumstances:
a) various types of health problems that are almost impossible to solve on your own;
b) problems at work, where so much time is spent in nervous tension;
c) grief in personal life, which is so important for every person;
d) seasonal depression, in which spring blossoms upset and autumn dampness after hot summer days makes you sad.
Psychologists call such cases the “Tosca Virus.” Many medical experts are inclined to believe that events in your life directly depend on our mood. Therefore, it is enough to replace sadness with joy, and gradually everything around becomes not so bad.
How to prevent uninvited crying?
Despite the fact that tears are useful, many people try to hold them back, not giving free rein to their emotions. Each person has their own way of preventing tears. So what should you do if you want to cry? The most common methods:
- take control of emotions;
- drink water;
- take a deep breath;
- take a walk;
- eat something tasty;
- remember happy and bright moments from the past;
- pay attention to the joy of others (after all, sometimes the smile of a passing baby can convey a piece of good mood to others);
- enjoy the good weather, the only remaining open flower in the autumn flower bed and the frosty patterns on the winter windows.
Much can be assumed about the provocateurs of crying. One thing remains the same: crying is a social tool. This is a way of communication, regardless of who the dialogue is with: with yourself, God, the people around you. After all, we all, regardless of strength and strength of character, want to be understood. It is important for us to receive attention and support, sympathy and approval.
