Does Crying Burn Calories? Here’s What Science Reveals (3 of 3)

Are Emotional Tears Different From Other Kinds of Tears?

Your body actually produces three different kinds of tears, actually. They include basal tears, reflex tears, and emotional tears, which all have different functions and triggers.

Basil Tears

Basil tears are needed to continuously lubricate eyes throughout a normal day. They help keep the surface of your eyes moist, maintain clear vision, and protect against potential infection.

Reflex Tears

Reflex tears often occur when something touches your eye and causes irritation. This can include things like wind, dust, strong chemicals, foods like onions, or smoke. These kinds of tears exist primarily to wash away irritants from the eyes.

Emotional Tears

Emotional tears happen during intense emotional experiences, where a person may be feeling sadness, joy, grief, relief, extreme happiness, or frustration. Research has found that emotional tears contain an entirely different chemical composition than reflex or basal tears. Scientists continue to study their exact purpose, but emotional tears appear to be uniquely linked to emotional processes.