Tears are the physical indication of emotions, such as sadness, grief, joy, and frustration. It is not unusual that someone cries, whether they may be young or old or a man or a woman.
But usually, tears are associated with sadness that whenever someone cries, they would assume that they are sad. On the contrary, people may also cry due to sickness, stress, or tiredness. Assistant Professor Peggy Kern from the University of Melbourne explains in an article in The Conversation why it is not easy to hold back tears together and why it is necessary for the body.
Why Are Tears Important? Here's What Happens When A Person is Stressed Out or Tired
Types of Tears
The strong emotions that people feel are controlled by the central autonomic that consists of the sympathetic system, which activates the fight-or-flight response, and the parasympathetic nervous system, which restores the body to a state of rest or calm.
According to Medical News Today, humans produce three types of tears. One is basal, which are protein-rich antibacterial liquid that helps keep the eyes moist. The second one is a reflex that is triggered by irritants and is released to flush them out and protect the eye. The third is emotional tears.
When people cry, people are usually referring to emotional tears. They contain more stress hormones and natural painkillers than other types and serve a therapeutic role known as a "good cry." Emotional crying tends to make people feel better as it is mostly part of the healing process.
Tears of Stress and Tiredness
Physical displays of negative emotion are usually discouraged in society. But as stress and tiredness pile up, it is difficult to control emotions. The prefrontal cortex, which serves as the central processor of the brain, gets overwhelmed, which results in visible emotional responses, like tears or angry outbursts.
Kern wrote that it might sometimes come as a shock to people how overwhelmed they are when tears start to run down their faces after a seemingly minor incident or experience.
Although women tend to cry more than men, this is because of biological aspects and the expectations of society. More so, people who score high on personality traits of empathy and neuroticism are more likely to cry. Excessive crying is seen as a sign of depression because the brain is overwhelmed with emotional pain.
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The Role of Tears Beyond Psychology Aspects
Beyond psychological roles, tears help create and sustain social bonds. Sometimes, it signals help as it is a way to show other people that some are not OK and need support. More so, tears generate feelings of sympathy for another person and therefore strengthen social bonds.
In terms of physical reasons, tears help moisturize the eyes to counteract dryness so they can see clearly. According to Mayo Clinic, dry eye can sting or burn and may be experienced in certain conditions or situations, like on an airplane, in an air-conditioned room, while riding a bike, or after using a computer screen for hours.
Furthermore, watery eyes are common in respiratory illnesses as the body tries to inflame the blood vessels in the eye to fight the bug. This causes eye ducts to clog and bring out tears.
Tears are a natural thing and part of human functioning, especially with the pressures of life and all they can do is cry to relive the overwhelming emotions.
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