Crying is a normal human emotional response to stress, sadness, pain, or other intense feelings. However, continuously crying for long periods of time can have various effects on the body and mind.
Short-Term Effects of Continuous Crying
Some of the short-term effects of crying continuously include:
- Red, swollen eyes – Crying causes increased blood flow to the eyes, making them appear red and puffy.
- Runny nose – Tears drain through the tear ducts into the nasal passages, causing a runny nose.
- Congested sinuses – Excessive crying can lead to sinus congestion due to increased nasal secretions.
- Headaches – Dehydration and sinus pressure caused by continuous crying can result in headaches.
- Fatigue – The act of crying is physically exhausting, often leaving people feeling tired after excessive crying.
- Changes in breathing – Sobbing and shortness of breath are common during crying episodes.
- Tightness in throat and chest – Intense crying can create a tight, constricted feeling in the throat and chest.
- Changes in appetite – Some people lose their appetite when crying a lot, while others comfort eat.
- Increased heart rate – Crying triggers the body’s fight-or-flight response, increasing heart rate.
- Feeling lightheaded – Hyperventilation during crying can reduce blood flow to the brain, causing lightheadedness.
These short-term effects of continuous crying are generally harmless and temporary, going away once the crying spell ends. However, crying intensely for too long without adequate rest can start to negatively impact physical and mental health.
Long-Term Effects of Prolonged Crying
If someone cries continuously for days, weeks, or longer, more serious long-term effects can develop:
- Severe dehydration – Losing fluids through extensive tears puts people at risk of dehydration.
- Hormonal imbalances – Continuously high stress hormone levels from crying can deregulate the hormonal system.
- Electrolyte imbalance – Losing sodium and other electrolytes through tears can cause dangerous electrolyte imbalances.
- Damaged blood vessels – The physical strain of crying can damage delicate eye and facial blood vessels.
- Impaired vision – Prolonged swelling and irritation from crying may harm eye health and vision.
- Sinus infections – Constant crying congests the sinuses, increasing the risk of painful sinus infections.
- Headaches and migraines – Recurrent dehydration, sinus pressure, and eye strain headaches from excessive crying may lead to migraines.
- Exhaustion – The physical effects of continuous crying take a toll, resulting in fatigue and lack of energy.
- Anxiety and depression – In some people, chronic crying may trigger or worsen anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions.
- Weakened immune system – Continuous stress from crying overload taxes the immune system, making people more susceptible to illnesses.
- Relationship conflicts – Frequent crying that annoys others may cause relationship problems.
These potential long-term impacts demonstrate why it is unhealthy to cry continuously for extended periods of time. Finding ways to manage emotions and stress in a healthy way is important.
Why People Cry Excessively
There are various reasons why someone may cry excessively for days, weeks, or longer:
- Depression – People with clinical depression often experience frequent, uncontrollable crying spells.
- Anxiety disorders – Anxiety conditions like generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) involve chronic worry and crying.
- Grief/loss – The sadness and distress of losing a loved one can result in prolonged crying.
- Stress – High stress levels from work, family issues, trauma, etc. may cause excessive crying.
- Hormonal changes – Shifting hormones during menstruation, pregnancy, perimenopause or menopause can trigger crying.
- Physical pain – Chronic conditions causing severe physical pain, like fibromyalgia, may lead to excessive crying.
- Loneliness – Feeling constant loneliness and isolation can cause frequent crying spells.
- Helplessness – Situations where people feel powerless, hopeless, and overwhelmed can result in constant crying.
- Tear disorders – Some rare disorders affect tear production, resulting in too much or constant crying.
- Medication side effects – Antidepressants, pain medications, and other drugs may potentially cause excessive crying.
Getting to the root emotional or physical cause of chronic crying is important for managing it. Consulting a doctor or mental health professional can help identify any underlying conditions leading to extensive crying.
Health Risks of Crying Too Much
Frequently and continuously crying for long periods of time poses various health risks:
- Dehydration – Excessive tear production dehydrates the body, causing headaches, fatigue, dizziness.
- Hormone imbalance – High cortisol from chronic stress can negatively impact mood, digestion, immunity.
- Damaged blood vessels – Increased pressure from crying can rupture tiny eye and facial blood vessels.
- Sinus infections – Congested sinuses from constant crying provide an environment for bacteria to grow.
- Headaches – Dehydration, sinus pressure, and eyestrain associated with excessive crying commonly cause headaches.
- Sore throat – Frequent sobbing and throat tension while crying can irritate the throat, causing soreness.
- Fatigue – The physical exertion of crying intensely for hours is draining and tiring.
- Anxiety and depression – Chronic crying may intensify feelings of worry, sadness, and hopelessness.
- Eye damage – Redness, irritation, swelling, and impaired vision can result from frequent crying.
- Weak immune system – High stress from constant crying weakens immunity, increasing vulnerability to illnesses.
Continuously crying multiple times per day, every day, taxes the body. Without treatment for underlying issues, chronic crying may have serious health consequences over time. Practicing self-care is important during periods of excessive crying.
Treatments for Chronic Crying
Some treatments that may help manage prolonged or excessive crying include:
- Counseling – Talk therapy helps identify and process underlying emotions triggering crying spells.
- Medication – Antidepressants or anti-anxiety medication can stabilize mood in some cases.
- Lifestyle changes – Getting regular exercise, enough sleep, a healthy diet, and social connection.
- Relaxation techniques – Meditation, deep breathing, yoga, and mindfulness help relieve stress.
- Biofeedback – Uses equipment to measure stress response and teach control of crying reactions.
- Support groups – Sharing experiences with others facing chronic crying can provide comfort.
- Self-soothing habits – Gentle music, warm baths, reading, and other calming activities help self-soothe.
- Teardown therapies – Eye movement desensitization, tapping, and other therapies to release past trauma.
- Medical care – Doctors can check for underlying physical or hormonal conditions causing excessive crying.
A compassionate, holistic approach combining psychological, emotional, physical, and social well-being strategies often helps manage chronic crying episodes. However, some people may require medication if there is an underlying psychiatric disorder or hormonal imbalance causing uncontrollable crying.
Coping with Excessive Crying
Some healthy coping strategies to deal with episodes of excessive crying include:
- Let yourself cry and acknowledge your emotions without judgment. Suppressing tears often makes things worse.
- Practice deep breathing techniques to prevent hyperventilation and calm yourself down.
- Try relaxing activities like taking a warm bath, listening to soothing music, or reading.
- Keep hydrated by drinking plenty of water to counteract dehydration from crying.
- Take pain relievers like acetaminophen to alleviate headaches.
- Use a humidifier and nasal spray to ease sinus congestion.
- Apply cool compresses to swollen eyes.
- Avoid irritants like smoke, harsh lighting, and loud noises that may trigger crying.
- Reach out to supportive friends and family to talk through your feelings.
- Get some physical activity when possible to boost endorphins and mood.
- Consider counseling or support groups to help work through the root causes.
- Practice self-care through proper sleep, a healthy diet, and social connection.
Having compassion for yourself and addressing any underlying issues in a proactive way can help manage periods of excessive crying. However, seek medical advice if crying becomes unmanageable or poses health risks.
When to Seek Medical Treatment
It’s advisable to seek medical treatment if excessive crying:
- – Persists daily for two weeks or longer
- – Is uncontrollable or unpredictable
- – Is triggered by minor events or for no clear reason
- – Causes severe headaches, dizziness, or fatigue
- – Significantly disrupts work, school, or relationships
- – Prevents normal daily functioning
- – Is accompanied by feelings of hopelessness or suicidal thoughts
- – Occurs alongside other physical or mental health symptoms
- – Worsens despite self-help efforts and lifestyle changes
- – Has an onset that is sudden or abnormal for the individual
A doctor can check for underlying medical conditions, screen for mental health disorders, provide medication if needed, and refer to specialists like therapists or psychiatrists for further treatment. Left untreated, recurrent excessive crying may worsen and negatively impact quality of life.
Conclusion
Crying regularly in response to emotions is normal and healthy. However, crying continuously for extended periods can have adverse effects. Short-term issues like headaches, fatigue, and stuffy nose may result. Long-term risks include dehydration, hormone imbalance, weakened immunity, and anxiety disorders. Excessive crying may be caused by depression, grief, chronic pain, or other triggering factors. Getting counseling, using self-soothing techniques, trying relaxation methods, and seeking medical treatment can help manage chronic crying. While crying can be cathartic, finding a healthy balance and addressing underlying causes of extreme crying are important for physical and mental health.