Identical to Sadness, Crying Turns Out to Be Healthy, These Are the Benefits

Orthopaediusu.com, JAKARTA — Crying is a natural reaction to emotion. While we often associate crying with sadness, it comes with great joy, and sometimes with triggers like anger and distress.

It is the body’s reaction to emotions, and helps keep the eyes healthy too. “Crying is a healthy, normal, human function that gives you the ability to reduce pain, maintain healthy eyes and create support networks,” writes therapist Anna Papaioannou when explaining the benefits of crying as reported by the page. Hindustan TimesWednesday (24/5/2023).

Anna further explains the types of tears and how they help keep your eyes healthy:

1. Basal tears

These types of tears are basic tears which contain a fluid called Iysozyme loaded with antimicrobial properties. Basal tears also help keep the eye moist.

2. Reflex tears

These tears occur in reaction to something irritating the eye, whether it’s dust or chopping onions.

3. Emotional tears

“Emotional tears not only have a calming and pain-relieving effect on the body, they also contain stress hormones that naturally regulate the amount of cortisol in your body,” the expert writes.

The benefits of crying

Anna notes the benefits of crying and how it helps keep eyes healthy:

1. Healthy nerves

Human tears are a source of nerve growth factor, which further supports neuron growth and survival.

2. Soothing effect

Crying helps lower stress hormones, so it has a calming effect and activates the parasympathetic nervous system.

3. Compassion

Crying is a form of attachment behavior, and although it is a personal process, it seems to have increased compassion and social behavior.

4. Reduce pain

Crying is the body’s natural reaction to pain, helping to reduce pain by releasing endorphins and oxytocin.

5. Clean the eyes

Tears help keep eyes clean and moisturised.

6. Maintain vision

When the eyes are not properly lubricated, it can cause blurred vision. Basal tears, produced every time we blink, are responsible for keeping the eye moist and protecting the mucous membranes.

7. Eliminate stress hormones

Crying is the body’s way of eliminating stress hormones, it has been shown to reduce stress after crying.