A Guide to Crying

It is the first sound that is uttered when entering the world. Not an attempt at communication, but an involuntary, primal urge. The cry. New mother's expect to hear it, doctor's have gone so far as to hold baby upside down and spank, in order to produce it. The cry. While it is a beautiful sound at birth, after baby is home, crying can become a major source of frustration for the new mom.

Why do we cry? The most obvious reason that humans will produce a discharge running down their cheeks, is emotions. Crying is most often associated with emotions of sadness, however, humans cry when confronted with a variety of emotions. Sometimes joy or happiness is the trigger. Anger and frustration, seem to have many crying followers. Exactly which emotions might make a person react with crying, varies with each individual.

What makes us do it? At times, crying can be an embarrassing event for us, which could cause more crying. We do not want to cry, but seem to have no choice in the matter. What is going on? Why does emotion contain this physical reaction? There are varied theories on the subject of how physical responses and emotion are connected. The famous "theory of emotion," has been debated by psychologists for a few hundred years now. One of the contenders in the history of the search for a general theory of emotion, is the James-Lange theory (1884). It suggests that a stimulus is perceived , the body responds (possibly, with crying), then we experience the emotion. Another theory, the Cannon-Bard theory (1900) suggests somewhat the opposite, that stimulus is perceived, emotion is experienced, then the body responds to it (possibly, with crying). While more modern theories (Griffith, 2006) suggest that they are both right and wrong at the same time, or better yet, that a search for a general theory of physiologic response to emotion is misguided. Conclusion? Perhaps, the reasons that we cry are as individual as the individuals that are doing the crying.

What are tears anyway, just salty water? Dr. William Frey has found that protective or irritant tears, the normal lubrication system that keeps our eyes from drying out, do not have as much protein as do emotional tears that are associated with feeling sadness, frustration, or even incredible joy. There are three "layers" to a teardrop, an outer oily layer made up of lipids and other fats, a water layer and an inner mucous layer. In the oily layer, a class of lipids not previously found in tears, was detected. Recent research (Nichols, 2005) shows a surprise. Oleamide, thought to only be found in the brain and central nervous system, oleamide has been linked before to sleep regulation. This research hopes to help find better treatments for dry eye syndrome. And may explain why someone who is really sleepy will have "watery" eyes.

There are generally considered to be three types of tears. The basal tear, which is the lubricant for the eye and helps to keep the eye moist and free of dust. The reflex tear, associated with peeling onions and teargas. And the crying or weeping tear, when an emotion is experienced that stimulates the tear gland.

Men versus women. Who actually does cry more? More of Dr. William Frey's research shows that boys and girls cry a similar amount until about the age of 12, when girls begin to cry more. By the time girls are 18 they cry 4 times more than boys. A woman cries an average of 64 times per year compared with 17 times per year for men. On the anatomic level, men have smaller tear glands than women do. It is also theorized by Dr. Frey that a woman's higher prolactin levels would stimulate the endocrine system, thus making women more emotionally vulnerable.

Are there really any benefits to all of this crying? Dr. Frey's research has found that manganese, a mineral linked to moods, can accumulate in the tear gland to levels that are 30 times greater than that found in blood serum. Crying may help to clear this build up of manganese out of the system. A study group who reported on their crying habits, once again confirms that women cry more than men, yet also reported that both men and women in the group claimed they felt much better after a good cry. There are those people who swear that a good cry was a life changing experience for them. One of these people is Jeffrey A. Kottler, who, after surviving a bad experience while hiking, had a crying jag and then wrote a book on the subject, The Language of Crying.

Can crying harm us? Two separate studies show that letting a baby cry for extended periods of time can cause increased blood pressure in the brain, decreased oxygenation to the brain, decreased blood flow out of the brain and an increase of stress related hormones. (Brazy, Duke University, 1988. Ludington-Hoe, Case Western University, 2002.) Babies who are left to cry repeatedly, for long periods of time can grow up with an over-active adrenaline system because of over stimulation of the brain stem caused by all of the excessive crying periods. These children may grow to experience increased incidence of ADHD, impulsiveness and violent tendencies later in life. (Bruce Perry, Baylor University, 1997.) Many good reasons to reevaluate the old style of "letting them cry it out." While feeding schedules and bedtimes are great for the parents, babies brain and body do not yet have an understanding of the need for strict routines.

So moms, pick that crying baby up, it's only 2 a.m. and the attention will help that baby to feel better. And go on and have a good cry yourself, in the long run it could be a life changing experience.

___________________

Sources:

Psychology, author David G. Myers. Hope College, Holland, Michigan. Worth Publishers, Inc. 1992, the James-Lange (1884) and Cannon-Bard (1900) theories pg. 403.

Rutgers University- Sandra Rosenbloom, Dr. William H. Frey II PhD. University of Minnesota, St. Paul author of: Crying: The Mystery of Tears (1985).

Live Science.com Judy Leonard. Kelly Nichols Assistant Professor of Optometry, Ohio State University.

Ask Dr. Sears.com, Dr. Brazy, Duke University. 1988 study.

Representing Genes.org, Paul Griffith biochemist, Queensland University, Australia.

Science In Public.com, Sophia Tragoulias, 2005.

Women's Health Mag.com, Sandy Hingston. Randy Cornelius PhD. Vassar College

Wikipedia