The doctor talked about the benefits of tears

Crying is a psychophysiological reaction of a person characterized by an increased release of a certain secretion from the eyes — tears. As people age, they tend to allow themselves to express emotions less in this way, although it can be useful. Ekaterina Demyanovskaya, an expert doctor at the Hemotest laboratory, told Izvestia about this on March 25.

She said there are three main types of tears. The basal tear is always present — it moisturizes the eyes, protects them from drying out and exposure to pathogenic microorganisms. Reflex tears flow in response to physical irritation, such as when dust gets into the eye. And emotional tears appear as a result of strong emotions: joy, sadness, anger. These tears are unique in that they help the body cope with stress overload and reduce the feeling of pain. There is also a distinction between pathological lacrimation when the large stony nerve is affected, a branch of the facial nerve that connects the lacrimal gland to the brain.

The lacrimal fluid contains various salts, lysozyme (an enzyme with antibacterial action), lipids (substances of the fat class) and many other elements. At the same time, emotional tears contain more proteins, and in particular hormones, so their taste may be more specific than that of reflex tears, and even bitter, the expert noted.

"With tears, excess toxins, hormones and other chemicals that accumulate in the body during stress are eliminated, and active, loud crying helps to show emotions, to vent them. In the process of crying, the adrenaline level decreases, so people who are used to holding back tears become prone to irritation and anger," she said.

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Crying also makes breathing deeper, which reduces the level of cortisol— the stress hormone, the expert added. Some people find it easier to cry, while others find it harder. According to the doctor, it depends on the strength of the nervous system.

The expert added that a number of stereotypes about typically male and female behavior are still widespread in society, because of which boys are brought up from childhood in such a way that they learn to suppress emotional tears. As they age, they lose the ability to relieve stress by crying.

Women are more allowed to express their feelings through tears. This social resolution is also supported by purely biological factors: the level of prolactin, a hormone that helps reduce emotional stress and promotes the formation of tears, is higher in women on average than in men, she explained. During pregnancy, it increases many times.

"But if lacrimation appears on an even emotional background, it is accompanied by weakness of the facial muscles on the same side, or it is associated with chewing movements ("crocodile tears symptom"), you need to consult a neurologist to diagnose a possible pathology of the facial nerve," the neurologist concluded.

On March 23, Victoria Radko, an orthodontist and head of the orthodontic department at the EUROKAPPA clinic Scientific and Clinical Center, told Izvestia about the impact of stress on dental health. According to her, during times of stress, people are more likely to consume sweets, which contributes to the development of tooth decay. Stress also distracts attention from regular dental care, which increases the risk of inflammatory diseases, the doctor added.