Some people are built close to the water, so they quickly burst into tears. Others always grit their teeth and never cry. But tears should not be suppressed. “Crying is important for processing emotions. That’s why tears should not be suppressed,” says Dr. Jörg Lauterberg, a physician and psychologist at the AOK National Association. “This applies to all people – regardless of age and gender.” First of all, tears have a protective function for the eyes. Tear fluid is constantly produced by the tear glands there and forms a protective film that keeps the eye moist and washes away dirt and dust. This is also the reason that our eyes “run” when they are irritated, for example by a foreign object: more tears are produced to wash away the intruder.
Mental hygiene
But tears are not only responsible for cleaning the eyes; they are also important for mental hygiene. Just as they flush out an unpleasant stimulus, crying often has a liberating and tension-relieving effect when emotions are strong. “An Indian knows no pain” and “Men don’t cry” – with such sayings, children in particular are urged not to show their pain. However, grief, pain and suffering are just as much a part of life as joy and happiness.
“Children should not be forbidden to cry, but should be comforted when they are sad,” says Jörg Lauterberg. Adults should not suppress their feelings either. However, they cannot give free rein to their tears in every situation. “In our culture, too, mastering emotions is an important skill and is seen as an expression of professionalism. For example: when caring for accident victims, a paramedic must react quickly and not be influenced by emotions in this situation.”
Emotions and glands
Even those who are particularly happy or moved shed many a tear. So crying is an expression of very opposite feelings. How come?
Dr. Lauterberg: “The glands in the human body are stimulated by the autonomic nervous system, which is also closely connected to the emotional center in the brain. When a strong emotional stimulus occurs, for example anger, sadness or great joy, the body reacts in various ways. For example, this also stimulates individual glands to produce: there is a release of hormones into the bloodstream – adrenaline, for example – but also the production of fluids such as sweat or tears.” This physical reaction is often only loosely related to the feelings that trigger it.
Goosebumps not only caused by cold
Something similar to the production of tears happens, for example, with “goose bumps,” explains Jörg Lauterberg: “Anyone who is afraid or frightened is overcome by an unpleasant shiver. This causes the small hairs on the surface of the body to stand up. Exactly the same thing sometimes happens during a positive experience: even a tender touch gives you goose bumps.”
