Bad Effects of Crying on Health It can lead to fits or can cause acute shortness of breath. For those with severe heart conditions, there can be a cardiac pain. Crying can take a toll on your body if you have certain medical conditions. For most people crying does more good for their body than harm.
When a person cries, several muscles in their face tense up. They may also feel tension in their jaw, down their neck, and at the back of their head. If a person is crying over a prolonged period, the continuous contractions of these muscles may result in a tension headache.
Crying is a normal behavior caused by a variety of reasons that include emotional, physical and chemical responses from your body. But it's possible you can cry too much or not cry enough. Either can cause damage to your eyes if left untreated.
Crying is normal in healthy amounts—but what is a healthy amount? With no hard numbers as to how often we should cry, the American Psychological Association states that, on average, women cry emotional tears several times a month (30 to 64 times a year), while men may cry once every month or two (5 to 17 times a year).
It's best not to hold in emotions all the time, but sometimes it's important to hold back tears. If you need to control a cry, try to hold back your tears just until you're in a better place for them. This way you won't suppress your emotions altogether.
Dr. Hayag also mentions something called petechiae, which are tiny red or purple dots on the skin that can occur after excessive crying. “These dots usually disappear after a few days, unlike broken capillaries,” she says.
In the short term, it can cause pesky problems such as irritability, anxiety, and poor sleep. But over time, repressing your tears can lead to cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension — or even cancer.
When someone cries, their heart rate increases and their breathing slows down. The more vigorous the crying, the greater the hyperventilation, which reduces the amount of oxygen the brain receives — leading to an overall state of drowsiness.
/ˈkrɑɪbeɪbi/ Other forms: crybabies. A crybaby is someone who cries very easily and complains a lot. If you have a younger sister, you've probably called her a crybaby from time to time.
How Much Crying Is Too Much? No guidelines exist that determine how much people should or should not cry. Studies indicate that women tend to shed more emotional tears than men. One study found that women cried an average of 5.3 times per month while men cried 1.4 times during the same period.
This type of crying may result from a mental health condition, such as burnout, anxiety, or depression. It might instead stem from hormonal imbalances or neurological conditions. If frequent crying for no apparent reason is causing concern, see a doctor for a diagnosis or a referral to a mental health professional.
“One is that they cry so hard that they trigger their gag reflex and vomit,” Posner says, adding that some toddlers have extremely sensitive gag reflexes. “Others just cry and take in so much air that they get a stomach upset and vomit,” she says.
Crying causes a release of endorphins or feel-good hormones and a reduction in stress hormones like cortisol, which have been linked to breakouts and other skin conditions. Though this may require more research, indications are that occasional bouts of crying can be good for the skin in the long run.
Your eyes might sting from reflex tears from sweating it out. The perspiration itself doesn't cause the tears — instead, your sweat may move irritants like moisturizer, makeup, or sunscreen into your eyes. Once the reflex tears get the job done, the burning should take a hike.
Crying it out
It's OK to let your baby cry if the baby doesn't seem sick and you've tried everything to soothe your baby. You can try to leave your baby alone in a safe place, such as a crib, for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Treatment for trauma
By concentrating on what's happening in your body, you can release pent-up trauma-related energy through shaking, crying, and other forms of physical release.
One of the best ways to release anxiety, frustration, or stress is to cry. Everyone needs to let it out once in a while, and there is definitely nothing wrong with that. In fact, it can actually be good for you.
Severe grief or disruption can cause anyone to cry, and that's normal. Prolonged crying that persists without reason is not normal and may indicate a serious condition requiring treatment.