Crying

Why do you cry? Not the reasons. But physically, why does your body cry? And what makes your body do that?! Haven't you ever wondered?

I looked it up;

"Crying signals to yourself and other people that there's some important problem that is at least temporarily beyond your ability to cope."

"Research suggests that when you cry, your body releases endorphins and oxytocin. These natural chemical messengers help relieve emotional distress along with physical pain."

"When you feel an intense emotion - say, hurt during a breakup or joy during a wedding - you get worked up. Your heart rate may go up. Your breathing changes. And that response comes from the sympathetic nervous system - think fight or flight. Basically, your body is getting riled up. But when you cry, your body actually starts to relax, Your heart rate slows down. And the opposite system, the parasympathetic nervous system, is getting involved, which suggests that tears are something that actually may allow our nervous system to mellow out and recalibrate."

Did you know that tears are different, depending on what causes them? 

"There are 'basal' tears. Those are just the in general tears that keep your eyes moist all day. Then there are 'reflex' tears. Those are the tears that wash away harmful irritants like smoke or particles. They contain substances, such as antibodies, to help fight germs. Last, there are 'emotional' tears. They contain additional proteins and hormones you won't find in other tears, such as prolactin, potassium, manganese and stress hormones. Your body doesn't make these tears automatically. It is thought that emotional tears themselves have an evolutionary purpose: They're a way to get empathy. Research has found that people who get social support when they shed tears report that they feel better than those who hold back their waterworks, or who don't have any support."

That was interesting!