Hormones make you want to cry because fluctuations, especially in estrogen and progesterone, impact brain chemicals like serotonin, reducing feelings of happiness and increasing emotional sensitivity, irritability, and sadness, common during PMS, pregnancy, or menopause, making you more prone to tears. These shifts affect mood-regulating areas of the brain, weakening emotional resilience and lowering the threshold for crying, even from stress or fatigue.
The fluctuations of female sex hormones in the premenstrual days reduce serotonin production. As a result, when serotonin levels are low, a woman may feel sad, even when there is nothing wrong. Hormonal changes are one of the reasons women become more sensitive during their cycle.
Hormonal imbalances show up as symptoms like fatigue, mood swings, weight changes, irregular periods, skin issues (acne), hair changes, sleep problems, brain fog, low libido, digestive issues, and temperature sensitivity, affecting energy, body functions, and mental well-being, often linked to stress, thyroid, or reproductive hormones.
Most new moms experience postpartum "baby blues" after childbirth, which commonly include mood swings, crying spells, anxiety and difficulty sleeping. Baby blues usually begin within the first 2 to 3 days after delivery and may last for up to two weeks.
After ovulation, the luteal phase begins, lasting from around day 15 to day 28 of the menstrual cycle. Progesterone rises during this time, while estrogen slowly declines. This hormonal shift can trigger mood swings, irritability, and even symptoms of PMS (premenstrual syndrome) for some women.
PMDD is caused by a heightened sensitivity to the hormones estrogen and progesterone, both of which spike during the week before menstruation. In 2017, researchers at the National Institutes of Health found evidence that PMDD is likely genetic.
Follicular Phase
This is considered the happiest part of the cycle phases. This normally starts at the beginning of your period and can last for about two weeks. This is when the hormone estradiol starts to increase.
'Crying for long periods of time releases oxytocin and endogenous opioids, otherwise known as endorphins. These feel-good chemicals can help ease both physical and emotional pain. Once the endorphins are released, your body may go into somewhat of a numb stage.
It's normal to have the blues or feel sick before and during a period. As hormone levels rise and fall during a girl's menstrual cycle, it can affect the way she feels, both physically and emotionally.
Which phase of the menstrual cycle usually has the worst mood swings? Mood swings often peak during the luteal phase, which is the week or two before menstruation, when progesterone rises.
What are the signs and symptoms of hormonal imbalance?
Listen to your body — it's trying to tell you something
Here are some ways to naturally balance your hormones.
Crying spells are usually caused by a mix of hormonal changes (especially falling estrogen levels) and physical symptoms of menopause that tax your emotional reserves.
Frequent crying can stem from various emotional triggers and stressors, like sadness or overwhelming situations. Understanding why you have strong emotions, whether it's hormonal changes, mental health conditions, or something else, is essential for addressing the issue.
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder is a more intense form of premenstrual syndrome, or PMS, that occurs in the weeks before menstruation. The disorder causes severe symptoms, such as depressed mood, anger or irritability, suicidal thoughts, appetite changes, bloating, breast tenderness, and joint or muscle pain.
Reduce stress levels with activities like meditation and yoga, to boost serotonin and increase feelings of wellbeing. Focus on your nighttime routine to improve sleep, which has a huge effect on mood. Avoid caffeine, turn off screens an hour before bed, and read to wind down.
Higher levels of prolactin, adrenocorticotropic hormone, Leu-enkephalin, potassium and manganese have all been located in emotional tears. Some researchers have hypothesized that the release of stress hormones like leu-enkephalin may help regulate the body or bring it back to a homeostatic level.
PMDD causes severe irritability, depression, or anxiety in the week or two before your period starts. Symptoms usually go away two to three days after your period starts. You may need medicine or other treatment to help with your symptoms.
Emotional tearing is where we'll see more hormones, like cortisol, show up. When we cry, there's a release of endorphins in the body from releasing those hormones, so emotional crying can be helpful, but not necessarily in making the eyes feel less dry.
The general (social media) consensus is that people are at their 'most attractive' during the first half of the cycle, the follicular phase, which begins on the first day of the period and ends after ovulation, and at our aesthetic low point during the latter half, the luteal phase, which starts after ovulation and ...
Here are 9 signs your hormones may be out of whack:
The length of the menstrual cycle varies from woman to woman, but the average is to have periods around every 28 days. Regular cycles that are longer or shorter than this, from 21 to 35 days, are normal. The menstrual cycle is the time from the first day of a woman's period to the day before her next period.