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

Although small in size and barely enough to wet one’s fingertip, our tears actually have a significant presence in our bodies and our lives. On average, the human eye can hold seven microliters of tears in its tear duct, but it can hold as much as 10 microliters depending on how often a person blinks. Over the course of a year, an individual will typically shed about 15 to 30 gallons of tears, but it’s not all emotional; reflex and basal tears also contribute to these numbers. Upon further extrapolation, scientists estimate human beings will cry an average of 64 liters (about 17 gallons) worth of tears over the span of their lifetime! However, scientific studies have found that, as we grow older, we tend to weep less often, although this is more so due to the fact that basal tear production decreases with age rather than an increase in emotional robustness.