Cry Your Eyes Out: 10 Reasons Crying Is Good For You

Besides the emotional reset and stress relief, crying also offers other physical benefits, including cleaning and protection of the eyes. Tears are made by the lacrimal gland, and when released, they serve to lubricate the eyeballs and eyelids. This helps to keep the eyes from drying out and thus also prevents blurry vision later on.

Crying also cleans the eyes. According to the National Eye Institute, by bathing the surface of the eye, tears wash away dirt, debris, and other irritants. The removal of these optical annoyances is imperative, otherwise their build-up could result in bacterial infections and other conditions harmful to the eyes. The evidence of this can be seen every day: for example, when a person’s eye comes into contact an allergen or dust particle, the eye will immediately start to water and produce its own anti-bacterial tears to wash away the irritant. Crying, then, is simply a form of good housekeeping!