Crying can cause headaches due to muscle tension in the head and neck from intense emotion, sinus congestion from tear duct drainage, and the release of stress hormones like cortisol, all of which can trigger tension headaches or even migraines. Dehydration from fluid loss and changes in blood flow from intense emotional stress also contribute, creating a cycle of physical discomfort after emotional release.
Gently massaging your head and neck muscles may provide relief. If your headaches are due to stress or anxiety, you may want to learn ways to relax. Over-the-counter pain medicine, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, or acetaminophen, may relieve pain.
Crying from fear or sadness (rather than happiness) involves more than just tears. The stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol make the muscles of your face and scalp scrunch up. This increases pressure on your skull, which can cause a tension headache.
A person may wish to try some of the following techniques:
[KIT]5 things you should do after a big crying
Bad Effects of Crying on Health
But for some, the act of crying can cause medical complications. 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.
Physical symptoms include:
Crying alone isn't likely enough to bring your body to the point of dehydration. However, grieving people often fail to properly care for themselves — including drinking enough plain water throughout the day. Excessive crying and a low water intake make it challenging to stay hydrated.
Emotional tears flush stress hormones and other toxins out of our system, and they offer the most health benefits. Crying can help your body to release oxytocin and endogenous opioids (endorphins). These feel-good chemicals help to ease both physical and emotional pain.
Symptoms of dehydration
Hydrate Inside and Out
Crying dehydrates both your body and your skin. Drink a glass of water and apply a gentle eye cream with ingredients like hyaluronic acid or aloe vera.
The "42% rule" for burnout suggests dedicating roughly 42% of your day (about 10 hours) to rest and recovery activities like sleep, hobbies, exercise, and socializing to prevent mental and physical exhaustion, countering the "always on" culture that leads to burnout. It's a science-backed guideline emphasizing that sustainable success requires balancing intense work with sufficient downtime for your brain and body to recharge, not just a quick nap.
The first stage of a mental breakdown, often starting subtly, involves feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and increasingly anxious or irritable, coupled with difficulty concentrating, changes in sleep/appetite, and withdrawing from activities or people that once brought joy, all stemming from intense stress that becomes too much to handle.
Symptoms of stress
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.
Depending on how hard you may have cried, it's possible to get a migraine attack, sinus headache, or tension headache. If you're looking to treat head pain from crying, you might consider treatment options like medication, massage therapy, and heating pads.
We must weep until your pillow is soaked, according to this poem, because weeping for a small amount of time is ineffective. After that, we should take a bath or jump in the shower. So, we learn that after crying a lot we should quickly take a bath or jump in the shower.
You can only be given medication after an initial 3-month period in either of the following situations: You consent to taking the medication. A SOAD confirms that you lack capacity. You haven't given consent, but a SOAD confirms that this treatment is appropriate to be given.
A mental breakdown is a term used to describe an event in which someone undergoes a sudden and severe bout of depression, anxiety, or stress. It can be triggered by any number of things: death of a loved one, harassment at work, unemployment, or something else.
Five key warning signs of mental illness include significant mood changes (extreme highs/lows, persistent sadness), withdrawal from friends/activities, major changes in sleep or eating habits, difficulty coping with daily problems or stress, and thoughts of self-harm or suicide, alongside other indicators like substance abuse, confusion, or changes in hygiene. These signs often represent a noticeable shift in behavior, functioning, and emotional state that impacts daily life.
Ideal shift schedule: Late-morning to evening shifts (9 AM–5 PM or 11 AM–7 PM) work best with their sleep cycle. If rotational shifts are necessary: A structured weekly rotation (rather than daily changes) gives your team time to adjust and minimizes sleep disruptions.
“If we keep pushing through stress, we may experience physical symptoms like fatigue, headaches, and muscle tension, and in the long term, burnout can lead to depression or anxiety,” Emily warned.
According to the report, 488 million people worldwide have long working hours, and more than 745 000 people died in 2016 from heart disease and stroke related to working more than 55 hours per week. These figures make long working hours one of the biggest occupational health hazards.
While crying is usually associated with distressing experiences, positive yet overwhelming experiences such as receiving an award, a marriage proposal or watching a touching movie can cause people to tear up as well. People may cry because they are overstimulated.