At the beginning of life, crying is a reflex reaction that occurs due to feelings of hunger, thirst, and pain.
In adults, the causes of tears can be very different from reflex when a foreign body gets into the eye to allergic and emotional.
Women cry more than men. The smaller the nasal passages, the fewer tears flow through the nose. Science can now distinguish between physiological - reflex tears necessary to moisturize and cleanse the eyes (this is how mammals “cry”), and emotional tears, which usually occur in sadness and joy. 
US biochemist William H. Frey chose tears as the direction of his research. The scientist is helped by thousands of volunteers who are equipped with special glasses with tear catchers. Tears gather while watching heartbreaking films. By analyzing these samples, Frey found that emotional tears contain more protein than reflex tears. But it is not yet clear what benefit protein brings to a crying person.
Emotional tears differ from reflex tears in other ways. They can occur even after damage to the cranial nerves responsible for the appearance of reflex tears.
Frey put forward a hypothesis, although not yet fully proven: “Tears, like other external secretory functions, remove toxic substances from the body that are formed during stress.” However, the scientist has not yet established what substances these are.
The ability to cry does not appear in a person immediately, but at 5-12 weeks after birth. That is, much earlier than laughter, which occurs at about five months. Many scientists now believe that crying is necessary for well-being. Research has shown that children with conditions that make it difficult for them to produce tears when crying are often unable to cope with emotional stress.
Anthropologist E. Montague believes that the lacrimal mechanism became stronger in humans through the process of natural selection, helping those who cried to survive. “Even the tearless cry of a baby,” he notes, “dries out the membranes of the mucous membrane of the nose and throat, which in young individuals are very susceptible to the introduction of bacteria and viruses.” When the membranes are moistened with the enzyme lysozyme, which is secreted by the lacrimal glands, their protective properties increase.
Tears soothe, neutralize bacteria, improve vision
In Rus', tears were compared to pearls, the Aztecs found that they looked like turquoise stones, and in ancient Lithuanian songs they were called amber scattering. 
Scientists have found out that it is not the emotional release caused by sobs that brings relief, but the chemical composition of tears.
They contain stress hormones released by the brain at the time of outburst of emotions. Tear fluid removes from the body substances formed during nervous overstrain. After crying, a person feels calmer and even more cheerful.
But people who are depressed for a long time are less likely to burst into tears than everyone else. The longer the depression, the less frequent the attacks of “tearful mood”, which, in turn, is a sign of dulling of emotions - one of the most common psychological diseases. Scientists explain it this way: tears are a kind of signal, a call for help, which, after several months of hopeless melancholy, dries up. By the way, a crying person uses 43 facial muscles, while a laughing person uses only 17. It turns out that there are many more wrinkles from tears than from laughter. 
The ancient Slavs had a curious custom: Married women collected their tears in special vessels, and then mixed them with rose water and used them to treat wounds.
By the way, the women of Byzantium and Persia did the same, who have long noticed that tears have an amazing ability to heal wounded soldiers.
The secret is that the tear fluid contains the antimicrobial protein lysozyme, which successfully neutralizes bacteria and prevents them from causing dangerous infections. 
That is why in fairy tales the power of “living” water is attributed to tears: after crying for three days and three nights over her dead lover, the beauty most magically returned him from the kingdom of the dead.
And ophthalmologists believe that tears are needed in order to see better: the tear film on the cornea, constantly renewed by supply from the lacrimal gland, ensures the sharpness of our vision. It can be compared to the water lens that was equipped with the kinescope on the old TV.
Tears also play a vital role in lubricating the eyeball and clearing it of irritants. In addition, in addition to antibacterial agents, tears contain oxygen and nutrients for the cornea of the eye, which does not have its own blood supply.
So that the tear fluid does not stagnate, but spreads evenly, the eyelids are periodically closed. By blinking, a person, like all land animals, wets the surface of the eyeball, otherwise it will dry out.
It turns out that the eye “cries” constantly. In order to produce this amount of fluid, the lacrimal glands work around the clock. 
Some particularly sensitive people admit that they are sometimes embarrassed to watch a film in a group, or listen to music in a concert hall, for fear of seeming overly sentimental.
According to the results of a German survey, 71% of women and 40% of men tend to cry when they see, read, or hear a work of art.
It's funny, but these so-called bright tears are shed much more often than bitter ones from sad events in real life. The liquid that is formed in this case, although it does not remove harmful substances from the body, softens the effect of adrenaline, the amount of which increases sharply when excited. The exact same mechanism explains the tears that flow from uncontrollable laughter. At the same time, the salinity of the most bitter tears - from pain and despair - is only 9% of ocean water. The tears that come to our eyes when we peel an onion, drink too hot tea, or clean a speck out of our eyes are more insipid.
Dry eye syndrome
When the tear film does not cover the cornea enough or becomes thin in a particular place, the nerve endings immediately signal to us: it seems as if a speck has entered the eye.
The eyes become red and inflamed.
Sometimes a lack of tears is caused by a side effect of certain medications - antihistamines and antidepressants. Taking many oral contraceptives also leads to dry eye syndrome. Tear production almost always decreases during menopause, but with the onset of menopause this process normalizes. 
Tear production also decreases with age: 20% of people over 55 suffer from dry eyes. Very noticeable inconvenience is also felt by those who, after sitting at a midnight vigil at the computer, complain of a “dry” pain in the eyes. There is not enough tear fluid in rooms where air conditioning is running.
Almost everyone who uses contact lenses suffers from dry eye syndrome. Dry eyes and blepharoplasty - cosmetic surgery to tighten senile skin on the eyelids.
In all these cases, you need to purchase drops and ointments from pharmacies containing artificial polymers that lubricate the surfaces of the eyes and partly cope with other important functions performed by tears.
Whatever one may say, there’s nowhere without tears!
It is believed that 74% of women and 20% of men cry 2-3 times a month, with or without reason.
True, the latter will never admit to this weakness.
36% of women and 25% of men cry from pain.
From love and related experiences - 41% of women and 22% of men.
Why are ladies more willing to shed tears?
It turns out that the matter is not in masculinity or femininity, but in the biochemistry of male and female organisms. The weaker sex is more tearful due to the hormone prolactin contained in the blood, which is responsible not only for the ability to shed tears, but also for the production of milk during breastfeeding. And men are prevented from swallowing tears by the hormone testosterone, which prevents the accumulation of tear fluid.
How do babies cry?
Even before learning to speak, the baby is fluent in the language of crying. True, babies cry without tears. 
In babies, the lacrimal glands function from birth, but they produce little fluid - it is only enough to moisturize the eyes and protect them from infection. As the child gets older, he already resorts to real tears, with the help of which he relieves emotional stress.
You will probably hardly find people who have never cried. Everyone always cries. Starting from early childhood, a child who has not been given a beautiful toy already begins to cry. Throughout our lives, in moments of great joy, grief, and worry, we also had to shed tears. But they cry not only in such situations.
Humans are the only living creatures that can cry. But why do people cry? Why can some people cry for a long time, while others, on the contrary, do not shed a tear? Is it good or bad? And is it necessary to cry at all? Let's figure it out together.
What are tears?
A tear is a fluid produced by the lacrimal glands located in the anterior-superior corner of the eye socket. The lacrimal glands are connected to the nasal passages through a thin canaliculus. Therefore, when we cry, tear fluid enters the nasal passages. And we experience a state of nasal congestion when we cry, and also when we cry, we have to wipe not only our eyes with a handkerchief, but also the liquid that flows from our nose.
Scientists have studied the chemical composition of tears. It turns out that the tear fluid consists of 99% water, salts - sodium chloride and magnesium and sodium carbonate, as well as calcium phosphate and sulfate. In addition, tears contain lysozyme, an enzyme that has a bactericidal effect. The composition of tears is close to that of blood, but the former contains more salts.
Tears contain proteins and carbohydrates, which are covered with a greasy film on top, which does not allow the tears to linger on the skin. American scientists studied the composition of tears and discovered the lipid oleamide, which was previously found only in brain cells.
Since tears are made of water, water is a carrier of information, often negative, that is stored in our body. And when we cry after strong emotions, then all the negative information comes out along with the tears. In addition, psychotropic substances were found in tears that reduce feelings of anxiety and tension. Therefore, after crying, we feel emotional relief and calm down.
Scientists have proven in their research that the chemical composition of many people's tears is different. It turned out that the composition of tears of joy differs from tears of grief. In addition, if tears are caused by stress, then the tear contains a stress hormone. And also that women cry much more than men. Maybe it’s their upbringing that affects men: after all, all boys are always told that men don’t cry?
Tears can be physiological or emotional. Moreover, their chemical composition is also different.
Physiological lacrimation
Or reflex tears. Tear fluid is constantly produced by our lacrimal glands in small quantities. During sleep, the amount of tears produced decreases, so those who sit late and do not sleep experience a feeling of dryness and burning in their eyes. Tear is necessary to moisturize the eyeball, helps deliver nutrients to the cornea of the eye and washes away various impurities, and lysozyme, which we talked about a little earlier, destroys various bacteria. If there is not enough tear fluid produced, then what ophthalmologists call “dry eye” syndrome occurs.
Dry eye syndrome is a problem with corneal hydration that can lead to serious vision problems. The causes of this condition may be a lack of vitamins in the body, various hormonal imbalances, for example, those associated with the onset of menopause, endocrine diseases, poor ecology, incorrectly selected contact lenses, and also as a result of prolonged work in front of the computer. And this manifests itself in redness of the eyes, a burning sensation and pain in the eyes, especially after work that requires strain on visual acuity. As a rule, with “dry eye” wind, air-conditioned air and eye drops are poorly tolerated.
If you notice similar symptoms in yourself, you should urgently consult an ophthalmologist who will prescribe you appropriate treatment, otherwise complications from the conjunctiva and cornea are possible, which can lead to loss of vision.
Physiological lacrimation may be more intense. This occurs when some foreign body gets on the mucous membrane of the eyeball, for example a speck, an insect or a bent eyelash. Here the brain conditioned reflex (defensive reaction) is triggered, expressed in frequent blinking and the release of tear fluid in large quantities. Thus, with the help of tears, the foreign body is protected (washed out) from the surface of the eye.
When bacteria enter the mucous membrane of the eyes, inflammation occurs - conjunctivitis, which is also accompanied by lacrimation, photophobia and swelling. Tearing also plays a protective role here: it washes away bacteria.
Increased lacrimation is possible with an allergic reaction, with cold, severe pain, with the use of spicy seasonings or, for example, when peeling onions. Involuntary increased lacrimation is possible when women in old age go outside, as a result of hormonal changes in the body. If constant lacrimation occurs, the cause may be a disruption of the lacrimal duct.
Emotional tearing
Emotional lacrimation - crying, occurs as a result of some kind of stress, as a reaction to emotional shock. This may be the influence of neuropsychic or emotional factors. Factors may vary. Let's say you are watching a melodrama, and tears flow from your emotions. Why are you crying? You feel sorry for the heroes and you involuntarily live their lives with them and involuntarily try on their situation for yourself. There are tears of loss when someone close to you dies. At the same time, you also try on the situation for yourself, this person was dear to you in this life, you depended on him in some way, no matter what. And suddenly this connection was broken. You are sorry that the dependence was broken. The same goes for long-term separation or unrequited love. In this case, you experience discomfort and severe stress, which also causes tears.
Emotional tears can also include tears of happiness and great joy. Most likely, such tears occur less frequently. For example, a long-awaited meeting or a big cash win. There are many more joyful events, but not all of them bring tears of happiness.
Lacrimation or tearfulness, which most often occurs in older people, is associated with weakened activity of neurons in the cerebral cortex. Such people are more sensitive, they can cry even for no particular reason.
The American scientist and biochemist William H. Frey studied the process of lacrimation for many years and came to the following conclusions. It turns out that emotional tears contain more protein than reflex tears. In addition, he proved that during emotional lacrimation, various toxic substances are released from the human body, which are formed during stress. And the tears released when crying balance the emotional state, a state of calm and relaxation occurs.
Frey claims that after birth a child does not begin to cry immediately, but only after 5 to 12 weeks, and much earlier than he begins to laugh. A child begins to laugh in the fifth month of life. Moreover, if a child does not cry, that is, he does not have tears, then he is more susceptible to emotional stress and anxiety.
Everyone knows Darwin, who also studied the process of crying and described it like this.
A person can still restrain the characteristic play of facial muscles when crying at his own will; but it is not given to him to control the lacrimal glands, and therefore holding back tears is a futile attempt, just like stopping salivation and other body secretions. Tear secretion that accompanies crying is the result of central excitation of the lacrimal nerves of the lacrimal gland, and the will has no direct relation to this act, but can act only indirectly, by inducing certain mental states - feelings and moods. Of the phenomena that make up crying, Darwin stops at two and strives to find their true cause.
The relief brought by crying undoubtedly explains this on the basis of the same principle according to which, during severe physical suffering, gnashing of teeth, strong screams, bending of the whole body, etc., greatly help; in other words, he explains the matter by distraction of attention to the side and discharges of nervous energy. Crying in various pathological nervous and mental suffering undergoes dramatic changes, especially in quantitative terms, and there are forms of mental suffering in which patients cry continuously for days, losing a lot of tears and, on the contrary, cases where patients completely lose the ability to shed tears.
Now it may be clear why do people cry. At the same time, it became clear that crying or lacrimation is a protective reaction of our body to various irritants, be they physical or emotional. There is no need to hold back your emotions. Cry, this way you will maintain your health and cope with stress more easily.
Watch this video. After watching it, I cried, probably from pity, or maybe from joy. Perhaps from the realization that there are still good people in this world.
Be healthy!
When a person cries, he does not ask the question “why?”, but simply experiences a strong feeling that makes tears flow and his voice change. Every living person has ever cried in their life. This is the only way for a child to communicate that he feels bad.
Reflex crying. Psychology of crying
A human being has intelligence, can distinguish between objects and phenomena, make assessments and make predictions. We can comment on countless causes and effects, but it is difficult for scientists to say objectively what crying is and what happens to our brain at this time.
We know that crying is:
1) A reflex reaction when something gets into the eye. This phenomenon is also characteristic of animals.
2) Tears can be caused by emotions: sadness, pain or severe grief due to the loss of a loved one. After crying, it becomes easier to endure internal mental or physical pain.
3) Very sentimental people also cry.
It is impossible to say what is really happening and how these tears help to feel relief. Experiencing grief after some kind of shock, a person demands participation. At this time he is very vulnerable. If there is no one to support him, he turns his gaze to the sky and looks for answers to his pressing questions in the infinity of space.
Some people simply do not like anyone to see their tears, and prefer to hide them, forbidding themselves to cry. Doesn't this cause harm?
Where does crying come from?
So, it turns out that crying is unique to humans, since their emotions are more developed. But it still remains unclear: what is crying? Trying to understand this, researchers identify three functions that the “tear apparatus” can perform in our lives.
1) Disinfectant function. The disinfecting effect of lysozyme, a substance contained in When a person allows himself to cry, his tears kill about 90% of the bacteria they touch, has already been proven. Tears also constantly moisten the eyes and prevent them from drying out.
2) Emotional rapprochement. Bitter crying in a person evokes the sympathy of others. Emotionally warm people try to help and hug someone who is crying.
3) Relieving tension. After crying, a person feels that a weight has been lifted from him. When you cry, cortisol is released, which is also known as the stress hormone. When we cry, the body is in a state of full combat readiness; when we calm down, all the muscles relax. This pleasant relaxation feels like physical relief.
Crying begins when the hormonal system acts on Cortisol and causes the vocal cords to also contract. Therefore, a person feels a “lump rolling up to his throat.” Those people who are prone to melancholy and touchiness often cry. A depressed emotional state, like stress, is a provoking factor that changes hormonal levels. The tear hormone prolactin is produced, and we begin to cry.
Who cries more often?
Naturally, women cry more. They express emotions freely. Prolactin is predominantly a female hormone. Masculine, tough men, who have little of this hormone, for the most part do not understand what crying is and why it is needed. They are pragmatic and make decisions without emotion. But then they need a sensitive, “tearful” woman next to them.
But there are still sensitive men who are not shy about expressing their emotions. Therefore, the fact that men cannot cry is just a myth.
Is inability to cry a diagnosis?
In the world of psychology, projecting other people's emotions onto yourself is called empathy. Such people are easily upset when they see the pain of a stranger or sympathize with the hero of a fictional story. Studying this phenomenon helps to better understand what crying is.
But there are people in the world who absolutely cannot cry. This is the opposite pole of empathy - closed people who lack tact and compassion. You need to be able to cry, that is, you need to sometimes allow negative emotions and stress to come out.
If a person absolutely cannot experience joy, anger, or grief, and tears do not break out for years, this is a very bad sign. Psychiatrists consider such emotional “numbness” to be one of the initial signs. Sometimes the inability to cry is associated with poor functioning of the lacrimal glands. This condition is called dry eye disease.
Crying as a way to relieve emotional distress
When a small child cries, and adults at this moment encourage and console him, he will grow up to be emotionally stable and calm. On the contrary, many people who were not allowed to express their grief in childhood subsequently grow up lonely, unsympathetic, or very anxious.
It is known that tears also contain psychotropic enzymes that help relieve anxiety and reduce pain. Toxic substances also come out with tears, just like with urine and sweat. This is why crying is important. How it happens still needs to be clarified and explored more deeply. Those who do not allow themselves to cry quietly from time to time are forced to carry all the “dirty” enzymes within themselves and get sick more often.
An ordinary person, unless he is a biologist by profession, has hardly thought seriously about the question: where do tears come from? Why do people cry from pain, grief, resentment or frustration? more often and longer than men, and how can this fact be explained from the point of view of physiology and psychology?
Let's start from the very beginning. Lacrimal glands are found not only in animals, but even in birds. However, man is the only creature in living nature for whom crying is not a simple reflexive process, but also an expression of emotions.
Not only scientists, but also philosophers have thought about the question of what tears are at different times.
Here's how to the question: why do people cry, the Alter Rebbe, the founder of the Chabad teaching, answered: “Bad news causes compression of the brain, followed by the release of fluid. Good news has the exact opposite effect. It improves. There is a surge of energy in the body.” According to the religious philosopher, human tears are nothing more than brain fluid. Modern science does not dispute this postulate, but does not confirm it either. Although today it is already known for certain that the activity of the lacrimal glands, like all other processes in the body, occurs under the guidance of the brain.
American biochemist William Frey devoted several years of his life to finding an answer to the question: why do people cry? He put forward his own hypothesis, according to which during stress, toxic substances are removed from the body through tears. This theory has not yet been fully proven, and the scientist continues his research activities. However, all this has to do with But what about our emotions? Do tears really have a beneficial effect on our soul, soothe and alleviate suffering? Is it good to cry in a difficult situation or should you hold back your emotions?
Israeli biologist Oren Hasson, studying the behavioral reactions of an individual in a group, suggested that with tears a person signals his vulnerability and weakness. It should be noted that such a reaction comes from childhood, because it attracts the attention of adults, letting them know that they are experiencing physical or psychological discomfort.
According to the scientist, tears are a protective reaction of the human psyche towards others, as well as a good way to induce affection on an intuitive level. Perhaps this happens because each of us has a genetic reaction to children's crying. A sobbing adult appears to us as a baby who needs help. The biologist proposed his own theory of using tears to build personal relationships between people.
"Don't cry son, you're a man..."
Women cry much more often than the stronger sex. This is a well-known fact. This is largely the result of upbringing. From an early age, a boy is taught the idea that a real man never cries. A violent manifestation of emotions is the prerogative of a gentle young lady, and a guy will be considered at best a slobber, or even an unbalanced hysteric. However, psychologists assure that it is necessary to give vent to your emotions at least occasionally. This will save you from a lot of trouble. Doctors even found that women owe their longer life expectancy precisely to their ability to mourn a problem in time and get it out of their heads.
However, not only emotionality is to blame for female tearfulness, but also hormones. Any woman is familiar with the condition called “premenstrual syndrome” in medical parlance. “I get irritated over trifles, my body constantly swells...” - representatives of the fair sex describe their condition these days with approximately these words. Many doctors believe that the cause of this condition is an imbalance of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Women during menopause and postmenopause experience something similar.
Tears of joy and pity
From birth to death, a person cries on average 250 million times. Agree, an impressive figure. And we know very well that the reason for tears is not always sadness. Remember, didn’t you have to wipe the moisture from your eyes that came out during Homeric laughter?
Why do people cry with laughter? The reason is simple and banal: the facial muscles stimulate the glands located in the inner corner of the eye, and under their influence, tears begin to flow.
There can be many reasons for tears; these are not necessarily troubles and troubles. We all had to cry with emotion, looking at the children going to first grade. At acting courses, future actors are taught to squeeze out tears, because portraying emotions reliably is part of the profession. So, teachers advise you to start feeling sorry for yourself, and within a few minutes tears will flow from your eyes. This is some simple science.
Text: Anastasia Travkina
Recently, the social attitude towards “positivity” approaches 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 during a lifetime - it’s hard to believe that nature could provide us with so much of something useless and “indecent.” The common stereotype that tears are weakness stigmatizes women and damages the self-esteem of men. 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 strength lies behind the ability to accept our emotions.
Where do tears come from and what are they like?
A tear is a fluid produced by the eye gland to moisten and clean the surface of the eye. Most of it is water, sodium and potassium chlorides; other ingredients vary depending on health status
How we grieve
As we have found out, crying is a complex mechanism of human behavior. The most obvious situation is when it comes to tears caused by severe grief of loss. This condition can be caused not only by the loss of loved ones, but also by the deprivation of personal boundaries due to
physical or psychological violence, loss of the ability to work or meaning in life, the end 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 - grief, and it has its own stages. The first is shock and numbness; the second is denial; third - recognition 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 happened. The stages of grief should replace each other over time, but sometimes a person cannot believe what happened to him and gets stuck on the first. Bringing such a patient to tears is 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 understanding grief. The mourners who came to the funeral probably not only performed a ritual function, but also stimulated the relatives of the deceased, who were in shock, to experience grief, preventing them from getting stuck in the anesthesia stage. Therefore, the worst thing you can say to a person experiencing grief is “don’t cry.” Tears not only help resolve emotional tension, but also place a person in a cultural situation of mourning, which is the first step towards accepting grief.
Emotional tears do not exist on their own as a physiological reaction; there are experiences behind them. Every person has the right to fully experience their feelings. In addition, we want and need to be able to receive the sympathy of loved ones. And in order to manifest it, it is enough to simply be nearby and not try to save a person from the grief that he will have to endure himself. For example, in Japan there are collective crying groups, and many participants, of course, feel relief after the session. The support of others is the most important part of a person’s process of accepting his loss, because it is those around him who will become a temporary replacement for what he has lost.
Why Tears Are Often Considered Manipulative
The attitude towards tears in society is associated with shame for a reason. Any strong emotions in a person who is not ready for empathy cause rejection and denial. Unpreparedness for empathy, in turn, is often dictated by the same deep-seated shame or fear. A vicious circle is formed: it is shameful to cry, it is also shameful to sympathize with the crying person, it is easier to deny his grief and not trust him. In this regard, a prejudiced attitude towards tears as a method of manipulation is formed. This is especially true when it comes to women’s crying: there is a cultural stereotype that women are manipulators by nature and will get their way at any cost. The result of such biases is an attitude of blaming the victim instead of providing emotional support.
Tears can indeed be a way of manipulation - in men and women, in adults and children. But how to distinguish real tears from false ones? Psychologists say that sociopathic individuals cry “on demand” more often: they experience almost no empathy and hardly feel the need for it, and they can cry even for selfish reasons. Actors can cry of their own free will, but they often have to remember life experiences that brought them to tears.