Why are there tears when you cry. What happens to the body when we cry? Amazing facts

Why do women cry 4-5 times more often than men? Is this obvious proof of their weakness, or an instinctive way to relieve tension? In any case, the right way - after all, sometimes crying is good for your health!

14.2 g - the number of tears our eyes produce every day

Why are we crying?

From the very birth, a person knows how to cry. Growing up, we begin to be ashamed of our tears and cry much less often, but still there are times when it is difficult or even impossible to keep from crying.

Animals, like humans, can scream and cry in pain, but we are the only creatures on Earth that have the ability to shed "emotional tears." After all, tears are a distress signal that we send, unconsciously expecting sympathy and help.

Those who are not shy about expressing their emotions openly are less susceptible to stress and deal with it faster. That is why, in case of nervous overstrain, psychologists strongly recommend giving free rein and throwing out the accumulated experiences in crying. It is much more difficult for those who are accustomed to control themselves in any situation and consider tears a weakness. Sometimes it doesn't hurt to cry. True, tears bring greater relief only when they provide "social support" - they help to find emotional understanding and comfort from others.

How tears are formed and why are they needed

Tears form in several glands around the eye. With each blinking movement, the eyelids spread the tear over the surface of the eye. Its excess drains into two thinnest lacrimal tubules in the inner corner of the eye. The lacrimal canals open into the lacrimal sac, which communicates with the nasal cavity. Therefore, when crying, liquid also flows from the nose. Although tears are 98% water, experts distinguish three types, which differ in intensity and composition - depending on what causes them and what functions they perform.

Mechanical. They flow constantly and almost imperceptibly. They contain fatty elements, mucus, proteins and antibacterial substances that wash, moisturize and protect the eyes from infections and scratches.
Reflex. They are automatically released in response to stimuli - an eyelash in the eye or corrosive vapors, for example, when you cut an onion. Their purpose is to rinse the eye intensively, so they are less saturated.
Emotional. The heaviest - dense, salty and saturated tears - those that we call bitter and shed in moments of suffering. They contain stress hormones and help flush them out of the body quickly. Studies have shown that 85% of women and 73% of men felt significantly better after crying with strong feelings. Tears of joy or tenderness are shed more often than bitter ones. Although they do not remove harmful substances from the body, they soften the effect of adrenaline. Tears that spontaneously flow from unrestrained laughter also act in the same way.

It is important!
Protect your eyes from dryness
Dry eyes can be caused by many different causes. Typically, this sensation occurs due to a violation of the quality of the tear film, which lubricates the ocular surface and covers it with a thin layer. This film must be especially protected - it protects the eyeball from drying out and pathogenic microbes, and also contains substances that feed the cornea.
Symptoms
Dry eye syndrome - a burning sensation, "sand", sore eyes, poor wind tolerance, redness of the eyes, photophobia, watery eyes or a feeling of dryness, rapid visual fatigue and a desire to close the eyes. As a rule, these signs intensify towards the end of the working day.
Causes

Factors related to lifestyle: heavy workload during reading and prolonged work at the computer, which require concentration.
Contact lenses can also cause discomfort due to dryness, as the lenses absorb the tear film, which causes the proteins that make up the tear film are deposited on them. If you wear lenses, give your eyes a break from them often, try to wear glasses at home. And it is preferable to use daily replacement lenses.
Read the medication instructions carefully. Certain medications, such as certain antidepressants and antihistamines (allergy medications), can cause dry eyes. Diseases of the thyroid gland, deficiency of vitamins A and D also provoke dry eyes.
One of the most common causes is the normal aging process. As we age, our bodies produce less fatty secretions: at 65 years old, it is 40% compared to 18 years old. This is more pronounced in women, as their skin is drier than in men. The lack of fat secretion also affects the condition of the tear film.

What to do?

Minimize risk factors. Try to maintain adequate moisture in the room. Do not sit in smoky rooms.
Include in your diet foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids: fatty fish and, after discussing with your doctor, fish oil capsules. Fatty acids have been noted to affect eye hydration.
Do not overuse eye drops. Avoid drops that "refresh and quickly relieve eye redness." They constrict the vessels of the eye and can only aggravate the problem.
Drink plenty of fluids: 8-10 glasses of water a day will help maintain normal moisture levels in the body, including moisturizing the lining of the eyes.
Blink more often, especially when reading, watching TV, or working on your computer. Avoid rubbing your eyes - this will only increase irritation.

Why do we cry more often than men?

It is believed that 74% of women and 20% of men cry about and without it 2-3 times a month, although the latter never admit this weakness. 36% of women and 25% of men cry from pain, 41% of women and 22% of men cry from love and related experiences.

We blink 12 times a minute to distribute moisture in our eyes

Why do women shed tears more easily and more often? According to some experts, it turns out that it's not about masculinity or femininity. Women are more tearful due to the hormone prolactin in their blood, which is responsible not only for the secretion of tears, but also for the production of milk during breastfeeding. And men shedding "stingy male tears" are hindered by the hormone testosterone, which prevents the accumulation of tear fluid in sufficient quantities.

Some psychologists claim that the social stereotypes that are laid in childhood when parents tell the baby: "It's a shame to cry, you are a man, are to blame for the male stinginess of the manifestation of emotions!"

Tear ten

Favorite movies that make people cry.

We interviewed our friends, relatives, colleagues and acquaintances, and present you with the top ten leaders. Look - and cry sweet tears!

White Bim Black Ear
Life is Beautiful
Where Dreams May Come
You never dreamed
Hachiko: The most loyal friend
English patient
Once upon time in America
The ballad of a soldier
When the trees were big
Knockin 'on Heaven

Moscow (according to surveys of residents of 10 cities) is a tough city, not for sentimental ones (does not believe in tears).
6% of women say they never cry.
45% of men say they never cry

Comment on the article "Cry to health!"

What makes us cry

Scientifically speaking, crying is something permanently associated with emotion. And everything else would be more correctly called lacrimation (although, of course, we still call it crying).

The lacrimal system responsible for each of the types of tears - oh yes, there are several of them, but more on that later - is next to. When a tear is secreted by the lacrimal system located between the eyeball and the eyelid, we instinctively blink, so that the tear begins to roll down our cheeks. However, she has two exit options: firstly, she can cinematically (or not very much) roll down the face, and secondly, it can drain through the nose (this explains why from the nose, when we cry, it suddenly starts to flow).

What are the tears

Medical News Today recalls that there are three types of tears:

basal tears that keep our eyes from drying out;
reflex tears, which help protect the eyes from dirt, dust and other external influences (onions - classic);
emotional tears, which are a response to the emotions we may experience from stress, pleasure, anger, sadness, and physical pain.

Experts explain that emotional tears contain a natural pain reliever drug called leucine-enkephalin. By the way, this is one of the reasons why we almost always feel better after a good cry.

How (and why) emotions turn into tears

But how is the tear system related to the emotions we experience? It is better to ask about this the limbic system - the region of the brain responsible for emotions, and at the same time closely related to the autonomic nervous system. The latter, through the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, partially controls the lacrimal system. Simply put, any of our powerful emotional responses affects the nervous system, which, in turn, tells the lacrimal system to activate.

Communication method

The question here is also whether tears are a simple response to a stimulus, as some scientists argue, or something more complex, say, a form of non-verbal communication that allows you to receive help and support from others. Psychologists often say that after a person has shared tears with someone else, this joint experience has a beneficial effect on further communication. The effect is well reflected in films, when the conflicting parties begin to communicate well after one of them is in a state of absolute weakness in front of the other.

Method of protection

Crying, adds practitioner Nick Knight in his column for The Independent, has a number of effects that we all are familiar with. Your heart rate increases, you sweat, your breathing slows down, and you might feel a lump in your throat, right? All this, the expert explains, occurs as a result of the work of the sympathetic nervous system, which is activated in response to any situation.

It is also worth keeping in mind that for children, for example, crying is more than just an expression of emotion. For them, it is also a form of communication with adults, but while they still cannot speak, it is also a form of communication with the outside world. At the same time, scientists have long established that crying is useful, while holding back tears and locking your emotions with a lock is not particularly. But about this, however, we already somehow.

For a long time, tears and crying were not interesting for scientists. The researchers focused on emotions and feelings rather than their bodily manifestations. Ad Vingerhoets, a professor at Tilburg University and one of the world's most renowned experts on crying, put it this way:

Scientists are interested not in "butterflies in the stomach", but in love itself.

But crying is not only a symptom of sadness. Tears can be triggered by a range of emotions, from sympathy and surprise to anger and sorrow. And unlike the “butterflies in the stomach,” whose flapping wings few people notice, tears are a clear physical signal that others perceive. That is why researchers have paid attention to this phenomenon.

Tears are "heart steam"

Apparently, people have been interested in tears for a long time: the first reflections on this topic date back to about 1500 BC. NS. For several centuries in a row, it was believed that tears form in the heart.

In the Old Testament, it is written that tears are a by-product that occurs when the heart weakens, its tissues soften and turn into water.

In the time of Hippocrates, it was thought that tears were caused by the mind. In the 1600s, it was believed that emotions (especially love) literally warm up the heart and the body produces steam as it tries to cool it down. This "heart vapor" rises to the head, condenses in the eyes and comes out in the form of tears.

Finally, in 1662, the Danish scientist Niels Stensen discovered the lacrimal gland - the true source of tears. It was after this that scientists began to attempt to explain the evolutionary value of the fluid coming out of the eyes. Stensen believed that tears were just a way to moisturize the eyes.

We are sea monkeys

Few scientists have devoted their research to the question of why people cry. But even those who studied the issue did not find agreement among themselves. Ed Wingerhots describes eight competing theories. Some of them are pretty funny.

For example, in the 1960s, it was suggested that we evolved from sea monkeys, and tears are a way to survive in salt water.

Other theories lacked evidence. Thus, biochemist William Frey (William Frey) in 1985 expressed the idea that tears are necessary in order to remove from the body toxins formed during stress.

More and more confirmation is received by new, more plausible theories. One of them claims that crying activates social relationships and helps to improve human relationships. While most other animals are born already formed, humans come to this world vulnerable and completely helpless. Of course, we grow up, get stronger and build up "armor", but a feeling of helplessness can arise even in the strongest and wisest of us.

“Crying signals to you and those around you that there is an important problem that you (yet) cannot solve,” says Jonathan Rottenberg, an emotion researcher and professor of psychology at the University of South Florida.

Surprisingly, scientists have found that tears can have different chemical compositions.

For example, those tears that you shed when chopping onions are not at all the same as those that flow like a river when you cry sadly.

Perhaps this is evidence in support of the theory that crying is an emotional signal to another person.

Researchers tested the chemical composition of emotional tears and found that they contain more protein, so they are more viscous. Emotional tears run down the face more slowly, freeze in paths on the cheeks and are better visible to other people.

Tears also show others our vulnerability. And this is very important for human relations. Indeed, in this way, tears automatically evoke sympathy in us for the crying. The ability to cry and the responsiveness to crying are important parts of human life.

Craig Sefton / Flickr.com

Another theory is not so touching at all. It states that the crying person is trying to manipulate others. We learn from childhood: other people almost always react to tears. Crying is a good way to neutralize anger. For example, this is why a person starts crying if he wants to beg forgiveness. According to Jonathan Rottenberg, adults believe that they are above such "childish" manipulations. However, the scientist himself is sure: this is a very effective way to achieve your goal.

It remains to understand what all these theories mean to those people who never cry at all. Perhaps if someone cannot cry at all, then they do not have such a good relationship with family and friends? Maybe his social connections aren't all that strong?

People who can't cry

It seems so. Cord Benecke, professor at the University of Kassel, presented the results of an astonishing study. He conducted 120 candid therapy interviews to find out if those who know how to cry are different from those who cannot. He found that people who are incapable of crying tend to reject others, and their relationships are not as strong as those who show tears. Such people are more likely to experience negative emotions, aggression, rage and disgust than those who know how to cry.

Basically, there is no research to support the beneficial effects of crying on the body. However, a common myth says that crying is a kind of detox for body and soul. It also turned out to be a delusion that it becomes easier after crying. Researchers showed participants in the experiment sad films and recorded their state before and after watching. Those who cried while watching felt much worse than those who did not shed a tear.

However, a certain positive effect of crying is still observed. If you fix the mood of those who cried over a sad film, not immediately, but after 90 minutes, it turns out that they will be in a better mood than they were before watching the film.

Obviously, modern research on crying and crying is in its infancy. But this topic seems especially exciting, because it gradually becomes clear: tears for a person are much more important than it seemed before. Darwin considered tears meaningless. But we cry when we need another person. Well, by all accounts, the great naturalist was wrong.

Text: Anastasia Travkina

Recently, the social attitude towards "positive" approaching the absurd, which is why we often feel irrational shame for our own sadness. Such a simple and natural thing as tears becomes a crime against the unspoken credo of life. According to National Geographic, the human body produces at least 61 liters of tears in its life - it's hard to believe that nature could provide us with so much of something useless and "indecent". The common stereotype that tears is weakness stigmatizes women and hurts men's self-esteem. The director of the Sisters rehabilitation center, psychologist Olga Yurkova, and psychotherapist Dmitry Smirnov helped us figure out why we need to cry and what power lies behind the ability to accept our emotions.

Where do tears come from and what they are

A tear is a liquid produced by an appropriate gland to moisten and cleanse the surface of the eye. Most of it is water, sodium and potassium chlorides; the rest of the ingredients vary depending on the health condition

How we grieve

As we found out, crying is a complex mechanism of human behavior. The most obvious situation is when it comes to tears caused by the bereavement of bereavement. This condition can cause not only the loss of loved ones, but also the deprivation of personal boundaries due to

physical or psychological violence, the loss of the opportunity to work or the meaning of life, the termination of a relationship - any deprivation of something or someone significant, including one's own identity or hopes for the future.

In popular psychology, there is a special term for this stage in a person's life - mourning, and it has its own stages. The first is shock and numbness; the second is negation; third, confessions of loss and pain; and the last is acceptance of loss and rebirth. A person is often unable to cry at the first stage, when the psyche protects him from realizing what has happened. The stages of mourning should replace each other over time, but sometimes a person cannot believe what happened to him and gets stuck on the first one. To bring such a patient to tears is a real progress in therapy, and this is necessary, because a state of stupor can lead to serious illnesses.

People from all cultures and eras have always understood that we need help in grasping grief. The mourners who came to the burial probably not only performed a ritual function, but also stimulated the loved ones of the deceased who were in shock to experience grief, preventing them from getting stuck at the stage of anesthesia. Therefore, the worst thing that can be said to a person experiencing grief is “do not cry”. Tearing not only helps to resolve emotional stress, but it also places a person in a cultural situation of mourning, which is the first step in accepting grief.

Emotional tears do not exist on their own as a physiological reaction, there are experiences behind them. Everyone has the right to fully experience their feelings. In addition, we want and should be able to get the sympathy of our loved ones. And in order to manifest it, it is enough just to be there and not try to save a person from the grief that he will have to go through himself. For example, there are collective crying groups in Japan, and of course many participants feel relieved after the session. The support of others is the most important part of the process of a person accepting his loss, because it is those around him that will become a temporary substitute for what he has lost.

Why tears are often considered manipulation

Social attitudes towards tears are not just linked to shame. Any strong emotions in a person who is not ready for empathy cause rejection and denial. The lack of readiness for empathy, in turn, is often dictated by the same underlying shame or fear. A vicious circle is formed: it is shameful to cry, compassion for the crying one - too, it is easier to deny his grief and not trust him. In this regard, a bias is formed towards tears as a method of manipulation. This is especially true of women's crying: there is a cultural stereotype that women are manipulators by nature and will achieve their goal by all means. The result of these biases is an attitude of blaming the victim instead of emotional support.

Tears can indeed be manipulative - in men and women, in adults and children. But how can you tell real tears from false ones? Psychologists say that sociopathic personalities often cry "to order": they almost do not experience empathy and hardly feel the need for it, and they can cry, including from selfish motives. Actors can also cry of their own accord, but they often have to remember the life experience that led them to cry.

National Geographic has calculated that the human body produces more than 60 liters of tears throughout its life. What is their function and why do we cry? At some point, scientists asked this question, not believing that nature endowed a person with the ability to cry just like that, and began to seriously look for a scientific explanation for tears. It turned out that tears caused by emotions are different from those that came to the eyes from wind, smoke or other irritant. The former arise as a result of processes taking place inside the body. The latter are formed spontaneously. Their chemical composition is also different: tears from emotions contain more hormones.

What are tears

We all have lacrimal glands that are constantly active and moisturize the surface of the eye throughout the day. Under the influence of emotions or stimuli, the lacrimal glands speed up their work, and we begin to cry. But what are tears?

A tear is a liquid with a specific chemical composition, the main task of which is to moisturize, cleanse and protect the cornea and conjunctiva of the eye from microbes. This substance consists mainly of sodium chloride and. In addition, it contains lysozyme - due to which tears have a bactericidal effect (the same as saliva and breast). By the way, the bactericidal properties of tears were discovered by Alexander Fleming long before the discovery of penicillin. But not all the fluid produced by the lacrimal glands is the same. There are three types of tears: basal, reflex and emotional.

Basal

They are constantly produced by the eye. Every time we make a movement for centuries (and this can be about 6 thousand times a day), the surface of the eyeball is slightly moistened. Depending on the characteristics of the body, about 1 g of basal tears can form during the day. Their main function is to protect, nourish and moisturize.

The basal tear consists of 3 layers. The first is mucus, which keeps the tear in the eye. The second layer is responsible for hydration and prevents the growth of bacteria. The outer layer is lipid. Its main task is to keep the surface of the eyeball smooth. If the gland is not producing enough basal fluid, a condition known as.

Reflex

Reflex tears roll over the eyes in response to irritation (this can be wind with sand, smoke or fumes from chopped onions). The mechanism by which these tears are produced is fairly easy to explain. There is a sensory nerve in the cornea. It is he who sends signals to the brain when something enters the eye. In response, the brain transmits impulses to the lacrimal gland and it begins to produce a protective fluid.

The peculiarity of reflex tears is that a rather large amount of them is produced at one time, due to which it turns out to wash off all unnecessary from the surface. Reflex tears are approximately 95% water. But besides her, the substance also includes substances with a bactericidal effect. Their role is to protect the eye from dangerous microorganisms that could penetrate along with the irritant.

Emotional

They appear before our eyes due to certain emotions. Researchers studied the chemical composition of tears triggered by emotion and found that it was radically different from the other two types. It turned out that when we cry with grief or joy, liquid flows down our cheeks, containing a relatively large amount of protein and hormones. Most often these are prolactin and corticotropin. If tears come to your eyes due to a stressful situation, then they usually still contain adrenaline and norepinephrine. And if a person cries from severe pain, then his tears may contain opiates, which have an analgesic effect.

Different theories of the origin of crying

Not only people know how to cry. Yes, it is quite possible to see crying elephants, otters, seals and crocodiles. However, animals do not cry out of pity or pain. For them, this is just a physiological way to get rid of unnecessary things. But why a person cries, researchers have several theories. In addition, different versions were put forward at different times.

In the XVI-XVII centuries, it was believed that in strong emotions the human heart heats up, and to cool it, the body produces special steam.

And tears are nothing more than the condensation of that very vapor that has accumulated between the brain and eyes. And who knows how long people would have continued to believe this if in 1662 the anatomist Niels Stensen had not made the discovery: the source of tears is the lacrimal gland.

Almost 300 years later, scientist William Frey, having studied the chemical composition of emotional tears, suggested that their task was to remove accumulated proteins and substances from the body that were formed due to stress. This theory looks quite plausible, but even it does not answer all the questions. For example, why the number of tears does not depend on the strength of stress: while some people in a state of extreme shock may not cry at all, others, even with mild stress, are able to cry for hours.

There is also another version. Crying is a protective reaction of the nervous system in insoluble stressful situations. Nature has laid down that a person, as a rule, reacts to stress either by attack (defense) or by escape. But if neither the first nor the second is possible, we begin to cry. This is a kind of unconscious way to wait out the danger.

The fact that when a person is sad, he cries, does not surprise anyone. This is how we are made. And for many, just such an explanation is enough. But not a scientist. They studied the mechanism of tear formation. Thus, the American psychologist Jay Efran put forward his theory of the origin of crying. His version is also based on the fact that emotional tears arise from stress. But the scientist is sure that in this case we do not cry directly at the moment of stress, but at the next stage - when, after super-efforts undertaken by the body during a period of stress, inhibition of the nervous system occurs. And it is at this moment that the crying begins. In this case, tears play the role of relaxation. Scientifically speaking, it is easiest to burst into tears at the moment of a sharp change in the activity of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, that is, during the transition from strong emotional stress to calmness.

Today, researchers do not have a single version as to why nature endowed humans with the ability to cry. Another theory is that tears are a way to show your weakness. Crying is a form of non-verbal communication. It is used by small children and paralyzed people.

Israeli researchers believe tears are a social trigger for empathy. In many cultures, a crying person was perceived as one in need of urgent help.

Tears of grief

Crying over sad events (such as the death of a loved one) is the first step in accepting and realizing grief. Researchers estimate that it reduces sadness and anger by about 40%. However, tears do not always bring relief. A study in the Netherlands, involving about 200 women, found that people with or with depression feel worse after crying. However, it is said that the constant containment of emotions does not lead to anything good. From time to time, it is useful for each person to throw out everything that has accumulated along with tears. And this is not just a figurative statement. Together with the secretion of the lacrimal glands, the body is freed from various substances. But we are talking mainly about crying, provoked by emotions. In this case, the tears contain leucine-enkephalin. It is a peptide neurostransmitter that acts as a natural pain reliever. In addition, along with emotional tears, the substances responsible for stress are excreted from the body (some of them are toxic to our bodies). By the way, a signal from the nervous system that causes the secretion of emotional tears, among other things, activates the production of natural analgesics in the body. So sometimes crying can be pain relieving.

Why do we cry with happiness

Although tears are usually associated with unpleasant emotions and grief, sometimes they also appear in moments of joy. American researchers decided to study why this is happening.

The fact is that our body does not care because of what the overexcitation has arisen: from grief or great happiness. In any case, he tries to tame strong emotions and restore balance. And he makes it the easiest way for himself - crying. Tears block excess arousal. By the way, according to the same principle, another, at first glance, not entirely adequate reaction of the body works - laughter during severe stress caused by grief. In this way, our body tries to relax and balance our emotions.

Women's and men's tears

Why do some people have eyes, as they say, always "in a wet place", while others do not cry even in extreme situations? The tendency to cry is influenced by various factors, including gender, the culture in which a person lives, and his upbringing.

Women cry more often than men. This is a scientifically proven fact. The Germans estimate that women can cry 60 to 64 times a year, while men usually cry 6 to 17 times in the same period. Researchers also found that men cry for 2-4 minutes on average, while women's tears can last 6 minutes or longer. In addition, in 65% of cases, female crying turns into sobbing, while a man can burst into tears only in 6 cases out of 100.

The main reason for these differences is hormonal levels. Female bodies contain prolactin, which, among other things, promotes the production of tears. Testosterone predominates in male organisms, known for its ability to suppress tears. By the way, after childbirth, the amount of prolactin in women's bodies increases, and this fact explains why after the birth of a baby, women become more tearful.

After 40 years, the level of prolactin in female organisms decreases, which is why the frequency of crying in men and women levels off.

The fair sex is also more prone to tears in the premenstrual period (especially in the last third of the cycle), when hormonal fluctuations occur in the body (a sharp change in the amount of progesterone and estrogen). Also, a whiny mood is common with postnatal or post-abortion depression. In these cases, the reason for women's tears is also in the hormonal background. After childbirth or abortion in the body, the production of progesterone sharply decreases.

Separately, it should be said about children's tears. According to scientists, babies cry for about 3 hours a day. They use tears as a way of non-verbal communication. So the baby can report that he is scared of something, hungry, thirsty or in pain. The crying of children before adolescence has no gender differences: the tearfulness of boys and girls is determined by the temperament of the child. But after puberty, everything changes.

As for the social factor, it turned out that people living in countries where freedom of expression of emotions is welcomed cry more often. The social factor also partly explains why women cry more often than men. In many cultures, the stronger sex should not flaunt their experiences and pain, although, as recent studies show, keeping accumulated emotions in oneself is dangerous for health and life.

And one more interesting fact. It is scientifically proven that crying women in the eyes of men lose their sex appeal and cause mostly pity. It's all about the specific smell of tears that affects the brain of the stronger sex. Biochemical studies have shown that female tears can reduce testosterone levels in male bodies.

Cry as a signal of frustration

We all cry from time to time, but sometimes excessive tears can be a signal that something is wrong with our health. Sometimes crying for any reason indicates a nervous system disorder. If this is the case, then you should contact a specialist who can determine the state of the nervous system and, if necessary, prescribe treatment.

In women, crying during PMS is a common occurrence, but if it turns into prolonged tantrums, repeats often and for no apparent reason, then perhaps the reason is a serious hormonal disruption. In this case, you will need a consultation. By the way, an unmotivated change of mood, a tendency to crying may also indicate problems with the thyroid gland.

Crying as a way of manipulation

For many, crying from other people is just a way of manipulation. However, researchers have their own assumptions on this score. In particular, scientists believe that denial and rejection of other people's tears usually occurs in people who are not capable of empathy. However, false tears also exist as a way to get what you want. However, not everyone knows how to cry “to order”. Most often, sociopathic individuals have such abilities. They do not know how to empathize and do not need such an attitude towards themselves, but they are always ready to achieve their goal with the help of tears.

But the famous German Karl Leonhard believed that people of the hysterical (demonstrative) type are more likely to manipulate with the help of crying. As a rule, such people are very acutely experiencing all sorts of life dramas, especially of a personal nature, and often put their emotions on display. Their tears are the result of the specific organization of the psyche. They have it reminiscent of a nursery, so in most cases such people use crying for self-defense. You can understand who is in front of you: a manipulator or a person seeking support by his behavior. The tearful hysteria of the manipulators ends abruptly as soon as they get theirs.

Why do we cry when we cut onions

Many people love onions but hate to cut them. After all, it is very difficult to grind this vegetable and not burst into tears. The tears shed over the bow are reflexive. This is how the glands react to the evaporation of the sulfonic acid contained in. This chemical irritates the lining of the eye and tears start to flow involuntarily. Some varieties and the plant Petiveria alliacea, which is common in Guinea, also have similar tear properties. By the way, in 2015, Japanese researchers bred a special kind of onion that does not cause tears. However, in the end it turned out that the taste of the new vegetable also differs from ordinary onions.

To prevent tears from flowing while cutting onions, it is useful to use a proven folk method: moisten a knife in water, and cool the vegetable itself before chopping. Thanks to this manipulation, the spread of the gaseous substance from the onion juice can be slowed down. And of course, for cutting it is better to take the sharpest knife - it damages fewer vegetable cells and, as a result, less tear substance is released.

The benefits of crying

Crying can cause many positive reactions in our bodies. When you cry, different muscle groups relax, your heart rate slows down, and your blood pressure drops. Crying relieves emotional stress and even helps oxygenate the brain.

By the way, in the capital of Japan there is a hotel, the rooms of which are specially designed for those who want to cry to their heart's content.

Interestingly, according to the observations of psychologists, tears bring relief faster if you cry in the presence of a loved one who is able to support and comfort. But if a person feels guilty for his crying, then he not only will not bring relief, but will further worsen the condition.

They bring relief, relieve emotional stress, calm nerves, release negative emotions, or help express happiness. Tears are not a sign of weakness or oversensitivity. This is the physiological response of our organisms. When it comes to the causes and effects of crying, multiple studies have produced conflicting results. It is impossible to say unequivocally that tears are good or bad. They just are, just like all human emotions. Sometimes we lead them, sometimes they lead us. The main thing is to try to comply with the measure in everything.

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