Contents:
- Medical Video: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Tears
- 1. There are three types of tears, with different functions
- 2. Tears can reduce stress
- 3. Content in tears
- 4. Tears can flow into the nose
Medical Video: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Tears
Crying is a natural process that occurs in humans. Almost all humans are born crying. Every adult human must have cried. When viewed from the side of gender, women cry more often than men. As reported by medicaldaily, women cry an average of 5.3 times per month, while men on average cry 1.3 times per month. According to researchers, this is because women are more able to transfer their emotions biologically into tears, plus women's tear glands are smaller than men.
But, do you know that the tears that come out of our eyes vary depending on the function and causes that cause the appearance of these tears? Here are four interesting facts about tears that you might not know.
1. There are three types of tears, with different functions
There are three types of tears that come out of our eyes, namely emotional tears, basal tears, and reflex tears. Each of these tears can be produced by the eye depending on the function and cause. Let's discuss them one by one…
- Tears of emotion.Emotional tears come out due to emotional stress. These tears contain high levels of stressors, such as adenocorticotropin (ACTH). These tears can give emotional signals to others.
- Basal tears.Basal tears are always inside the eye because these tears function to moisturize, nourish, and protect the eyes. The lacrimal gland, which is on the outermost side of the upper eye, always produces fluids that contain protein and antibacterial. This fluid flows from the outer eyeball to the cornea and lubricates the entire surface of the eye every time we blink.
- Reflex tears.Reflex tears function to protect the eyes from irritation, such as irritation caused by dust, smoke, or onions. So when you are peeling onions, these tears come out.
In addition to the functions described above, tears also have other functions. Tears function to deliver oxygen and nutrients, and remove waste products that have not been used by the body, just like the function of blood in the body. Tears also enhance the image formed on the retina by smoothing out the irregularities that exist on the surface of the eyeball. That's what causes your vision to run away when your eyes are dry.
Tears are also the body's defense mechanism because tears contain antibodies, enzymes and other immune components. This substance helps protect the eyes from microorganisms. Therefore, we really need tears because of the many functions of tears.
2. Tears can reduce stress
Crying is one of the ways we communicate the feelings we are feeling, as well as to express emotions. When you are emotional or stressed, you will cry. This is when your emotional tears come out. After crying, you will feel more calm.
But what really happened? How can tears help reduce stress?
Crying can help cleanse the body of chemicals related to stress. This is one reason why we feel better when we cry. High adenocorticotropin (ACTH) levels are found in emotional tears. ACTH is a chemical related to stress. So if you cry when you're stressed, you help remove the stress-causing chemicals so that you feel much better after crying.
Removing ACTH from the body also has other benefits, namely triggering the body to also release cortisol (stress hormone). Too much cortisol in the body can cause stress related health problems.
3. Content in tears
Tears have a complex system, consisting of three layers, namely layers of oil, water, and mucus. The water layer is the thickest and contains electrolytes (such as sodium and potassium), proteins (most in the form of enzymes), glucose, and other substances. The amount of fat content in the outer layer of oil serves to slow evaporation. However, the specific composition of tears can change from day to day depending on your health and condition.
4. Tears can flow into the nose
Tears are produced mostly by the lacrimal gland located just above the outer corner of the eye. When flashing, you are actually lubricating your eyes with tears because at that time the tears spread on the surface of the eye. Tears flow into a small hole in the eyelid called puncta, and if the production of excess tears, such as when crying, tears will flow from the lower eyelid to the channel in the nasal cavity, where you can swallow it when crying, these tears can become part of the nasal fluid. This is what causes you to feel difficulty breathing when you cry.
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