Why You Should Cry
THE SCIENCE BEHIND SAD AND MAD TEARS
Ronda Rousey is tough. She was the first American woman to earn a medal in the Olympics for judo, and she was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame to commemorate her six titles. Rousey is noted for her physical and mental toughness, so it might surprise you to learn that she loves a good cry. “I really cry all the time … Everything [makes me cry]. Especially during fight week,” she told the Huffington Post. While crying is more often associated with weakness than strength, the science of the tears we shed when we’re emotional — including feelings of anger, sadness, and stress — shows that crying actually makes us healthier. MORE THAN JUSTWATER Before you cry, you may feel a welling up of tears in your eyes that makes them appear watery. While tears of all types are mainly made up of water, scientists say that they are distinguished by their chemical makeup. Biochemist Dr. William H. Frey
produced foundational scientific research on the science of crying. He collected tears from research participants who cried while watching a sad movie and compared their tears to participants who cried because of a cut onion. Frey said the emotional tears were not only unique to humans but that they’re also a “unique kind of tear.” Their unique chemical makeup has both a detoxifying and stress-reducing effect. Emotional tears have higher levels of ACTH, a stress hormone released by crying. They also have higher levels of endorphins and oxytocin, which are known to reduce both stress and pain. CRYING AND YOUR HEALTH The benefits of crying have been explored by everyone from ancient philosophers to modern- day scientists. While philosophers noted the cathartic effects of crying, scientists have filled in the knowledge gaps about why crying feels good and how it’s actually good for us.
The stress-reducing benefits of crying don’t just feel good in the moment. There are several secondary benefits such as:
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Lower blood pressure, which keeps your heart healthy and helps you avoid stroke, heart failure, and dementia Lower manganese levels, which helps decrease anxiety, irritability, and aggression
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Decreased risk of ulcers and other digestive issues Decreased risk of tension headaches and migraines
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Finally, crying serves an important social role. Tears elicit sympathy, signal that something is wrong, and facilitate connection during hard times. If you find yourself having chronic or uncontrollable bouts of tears, something else may be going on and you should seek professional help. But if you find yourself crying when stressed, angry, or sad, embrace your tears, knowing they’re helping make you healthier both mentally and physically.
Is Your Phone a Superspreader? 3 Ways to Keep Your Phone Clean As your children return to school and in-person instruction, the routine once lost to COVID-19 and summertime fun seems to have returned. Everything seems “normal” again — right down to the return of fall sniffles, colds, and flus.
DON’T SHARE DEVICES This one will take a little practice. Think about all the places our phones go: up to our faces, into our hands, onto counters, into our purses or backpacks — you get the picture. Now think about where our hands go and how many of those germs are then transferred onto our phones and tablets. Do you really want a stranger’s — or dozens of your child’s closest friends’ — germs on your phone? They will surely get on your hands, against your face, and sit on your kitchen counter. Don’t share devices outside of your immediate family, unless it’s an emergency, and consider alternatives. For example, offer to place the phone call yourself if a person needs to use your phone. Also, remind your child to think of their phone like a toothbrush: It’s theirs and theirs alone. JUSTWASH YOUR HANDS You’re sick of hearing about it, but proper hand-washing techniques can protect you from the transmission of germs and infections. Plus, when you wash your hands consistently, you remove the possibility of transferring those bad germs onto your phone, where they can linger.
To avoid the “back-to-school plague,” as many professionals call it, you would hope that recent insistence on hand-washing, sanitizing, and staying socially distanced would remain a habit, but we all know how kids can be. And as more children and teens use cellphones, their risk of spreading germs increases, too.
This back-to-school season, keep some of our dirtiest devices clean — cellphones and tablets — with these doctor-recommended tips.
WASH YOUR PHONE REGULARLY This feels like a no-brainer, but many of us don’t wash our phones enough. Short of dunking the device in a tub of bleach, the easiest way to eliminate germs from your phone is to use an alcohol wipe or sanitizing cloth. Simply sanitize the phone lightly throughout the day. There are even eco-friendly products, like Zagg’s UV sanitizers and cleaners, to make cleanliness even greener! These products use light to zap away germs!
2 www.EyePlasticMD.com
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