Crying is a natural human response, yet it’s often misunderstood or viewed negatively. From moments of joy to times of sorrow, shedding tears is an essential part of emotional expression. But beyond being an outlet for our feelings, crying offers surprising health benefits—especially for your eyes.
Yes, crying can be healthy for your eyes. It not only supports physical eye health by cleaning and hydrating your eyes but also provides emotional and psychological relief. There’s more to your tears than you may expect, so let’s take a closer look!
The Science of Tears
Tears are more than just water rolling down your cheeks—they’re complex and purposeful. Scientists categorize tears into 3 types:
- Basal tears: These are constantly produced to keep your eyes lubricated and protected. Basal tears create a thin, nourishing film over the eyes, defending them from external irritants like wind, dust, and pollution.
- Reflex tears: Reflex tears activate when something irritates your eyes, like smoke, dust, or even onions. Their primary purpose is to flush away harmful substances quickly.
- Emotional tears: Emotional tears, distinct from basal and reflex tears, are connected to feelings of sadness, happiness, or frustration. They may even contain extra hormones and other stress-related chemicals, offering both physical and mental healing.
Each type of tear has a unique composition and function. But they all come down to 3 vital layers:
- The outer lipid layer: This top layer prevents your tears from evaporating too quickly, helping your eyes stay hydrated for longer periods.
- The middle aqueous layer: This layer makes up the bulk of your tears and is responsible for delivering moisture, oxygen, and essential nutrients to the eye’s surface.
- The inner mucous layer: This layer helps tears spread evenly across the surface of your eye and stay attached.
Benefits of Crying for Eye Health
With all the lipids, enzymes, and electrolytes found in tears, it’s no wonder that a healthy abundance of them is key to maintaining your eye health. Here are just some of the benefits a good cry can offer your eyes:
Lubrication & Moisture
Our eyes prefer lots of moisture, so the key benefit tears can offer is to keep your eyes hydrated, preventing dryness that can cause irritation, redness, or discomfort. Basal tear production works continuously to maintain comfort, but crying can provide an extra boost of moisture when needed.
If you can’t produce enough tears or your tears evaporate too quickly due to meibomian gland dysfunction, you can leave your corneas open to long-term damage.
Debris Removal
Consider tears as your eyes’ natural washing mechanism. Reflex tears, in particular, help remove dust, dirt, and small particles. Think about what happens when you’re standing outside on a windy day and get a speck of something in your eye. Your eyes should start to water as you attempt to blind away the foreign body.
You may not feel sad, but these tears help your eyes remain clean and free of irritants, reducing the risk of infection or damage.
Protection Against Irritants
Basal tears form a protective shield over the surface of your eyes, acting as a frontline defense against harmful external elements. Regular tear production keeps your eyes guarded from environmental pollutants like smoke and airborne allergens.
Emotional & Psychological Benefits
Crying doesn’t just benefit your eyes physically—its emotional and psychological impacts are equally significant and worth considering. Humans are a bit unique in that most researchers believe we are the only animals that have emotional tears.
This show of emotion acts like a safety valve, offering a range of benefits, including:
- Stress relief: Research shows that emotional tears help release oxytocin and endorphins, which are natural “feel-good” chemicals. These hormones work to reduce stress, calm the body, and alleviate both emotional and physical discomfort.
- Healthy emotional processing: Releasing emotions through tears allows for healthier emotional regulation. Crying helps diminish feelings of sadness or anxiety, creating space for clarity while promoting emotional balance.
- Strengthening social bonds: Crying can deepen connections with others. When people cry in front of friends or loved ones, it often prompts empathy and support, fostering stronger relationships and a sense of companionship.
Since stress can affect your heart health, and heart health can directly affect your eyes, managing your stress by not repressing emotions can be an unappreciated way to keep your vision healthy.
Is Crying Ever a Problem?
While crying is largely beneficial, there are instances where it could indicate an issue. Frequent, spontaneous crying without cause—or the inability to cry even when feeling distressed—could point to underlying concerns, such as depression or other mental health conditions.
Even if we’re not talking about emotional tears, many conditions list watery eyes as a symptom. It may surprise you to learn that too many tears can even be a dry eye symptom as your eyes try desperately to address the irritation.
If excessive crying interferes with daily life, or if physical symptoms like persistent dry eyes persist, it may be time to consult a professional.
Keep Your Tears Happy with Total Vision Solana Beach
Crying is a natural and healthy function that not only supports emotional well-being but also optimizes eye health. However, maintaining regular eye check-ups is just as important for long-term vision care.
Total Vision Solana Beach is here to help you safeguard your eye health. Whether you’re managing dry eyes, in need of prescription updates, or simply looking to protect your vision, our dedicated team will provide comprehensive care that’s customized for every stage of life.
Book your appointment online to meet with one of our trusted team members. Your eyes never rest—make sure you give them the care they deserve!
