Tears are an innate human instinct, and the first skill we master after birth is crying, but as we age, tears are often seen as a sign of weakness.
Recently, some netizens shared their medical experience on social platforms: after going to the traditional Chinese medicine hospital, it was diagnosed as a lack of yang caused by liver qi stagnation, and in addition to traditional Chinese medicine, the treatment plan also mentioned "crying for half an hour every day".
The netizen said in an interview with the media that although he did not cry exactly as the doctor said, he still cried suspiciously several times, and felt much better after two weeks.
Experts interviewed
Jie Ying, chief physician of the Department of Ocular Corneal Disease, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University
Peng Xu, Associate Professor, Department of Clinical Psychology, Beijing Huilongguan Hospital
There are 3 types of tears
Although tears all look the same, when viewed under a microscope, each tear is very different.
Dutch photographer Maurice Mikkers collected different types of tears and conducted a photographic experiment.
Tears shed when sad ↓
Tears shed when chopping onions ↓
Tears when stimulated by peppermint oil ↓
Tears shed because of pain ↓
In addition to the different shapes, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, tears can be divided into three types.
1
Foundation tears
Whether the eyes are open or closed, the goblet cells and paralacrimal glands of the conjunctiva secrete some tears, which are the basic tears.
Its main components are salts and sterilized substances, such as lactoferrin and immunoglobulin, etc., and the function is to flush out foreign substances, irritants, etc.
People generally do not feel its presence, but without it, the eyes will feel something or dust, which will lead to dry eyes and even lose the ability to resist bacterial invasion.
2
Reflex tears
Tears that flow due to conditioned reflexes, such as exposure to the spicy smell of onions, smoke, dust, grit, debris, powder, etc., are called reflex tears.
This tear is released in large quantities to flush out foreign bodies or particles, and tears also contain more antibodies to help fight bacteria in the irritant.
3
Emotional tears
This tear is unique to humans and is one of the main differences between humans and animals.
When people are too sad, too happy, feel fearful, stressed, emotions tend to get out of control, and tears can help overcome various emotions.
Studies have also found that emotional tears contain higher concentrations of hormones and proteins, such as adrenocorticotropic hormone, enkephalins, benzodiol, etc., which are undetectable in tears that are stimulated by onions.
When you cry, you are "detoxifying" both physically and mentally
Tears help to expel certain "toxins" from the human body, have cleansing, lubricating, antibacterial and other functions, and can also make emotions easier.
Clean and moist eyes
Tears are necessary to keep the eyeball moist, and the protein and other substances they contain can maintain eye health and prevent infection.
Tears contain "lysozyme", which is a self-defense substance for the human body. When crying, tears can not only moisturize the cornea, clean the eyes, but also play a bactericidal effect.
Calm and sleep aids
Crying causes the body to release norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter that helps people vent their pain and gain peace.
A good example is that after crying, both children and adults can fall asleep quickly.
Supports cardiorespiratory fitness
People inhale constantly when they cry, which helps the respiratory and circulatory systems work.
This "crying breathing" has been used in some respiratory exercises that are effective in treating asthma and bronchitis.
Detoxify emotions
Experts in the psychiatric laboratory of the Remsey Medical Center in St. Paul found that after crying, negative emotions can be reduced by 40%.
Emotional tears contain stress hormones that are excreted during crying; Crying also triggers the body to release feel-good endorphins.
Helps burn fat
Emotional tears help burn fat, and when crying, it lowers stress hormones and helps reduce belly fat consumption.
Through tearing, adrenal corticosteroids are released, cortisol levels in the body are reduced, and the body no longer sends out signals that it needs more calories to fight stress.
How to shed tears scientifically
Although crying is an effective way to express emotions, it cannot be unrestrained.
If you want to cry, "early"
When you feel negative emotions, you should vent them as soon as possible and don't hold them in your heart. Crying is actually a way of expression, and there is no need to deliberately suppress it when you are emotional.
Release your emotions and find the right place
A safe environment allows people to show their true feelings, and they can remove their pretense at home or in a place they think they can trust, and release their "vulnerable" side.
It is best not to exceed 15 minutes
Human gastrointestinal function is extremely sensitive to emotions, sadness or crying for too long, the movement of the stomach will slow down, causing stomach problems, and the psychology is also easy to enter the fatigue period.
Crying should not be too long, when you feel that the mood has calmed down, control it within 15 minutes.
After crying, let go for a while
In the eyes of psychological experts, crying is "washing the heart", because the negative energy is excreted, crying should be relaxed, you can go to sleep or take a walk, do not rush to do other things.
In addition, some depressed people often cry, and they usually cry silently without crying. If you find that the person around you is depressed and depressed for two weeks, and often cry secretly, you should advise them to seek medical attention in time. ▲
Editor of this issue: Xu Menglian