Have you ever experienced a massive headache after crying? You never know where it comes from, it is just a penging feeling that occurs when you cry.
However, this headache does not seem to appear when you’re crying tears of joy. Instead, it is when you are sad.
According to the health-focused publication Healthline, “Crying is a natural response to a strong emotion — like watching a sad movie or going through a particularly painful breakup.”
The body produces tears when the limbic system, which is responsible for emotional arousal, sends a signal to the lacrimal glands. These glands, located just above each eyelid, produce tears.
The below publications state t crying gives you a headache:
The health hub above claims, “How crying might cause headaches isn’t clear, but intense emotions, like stress and anxiety, seem to trigger processes in the brain that pave the way for headache pain.”
Meanwhile, Lawrence Newman, director of the headache division at NYU Langone Health claims that your body releases stress hormones, such as cortisol, when you’re sad.
He continues to add that these stress hormones cause your body to release neurotransmitters, which are chemical messengers in your brain and cause physical reactions like tenseness in your forehead or even tears flowing down your face.
MedicalNewsToday further adds to the above expert’s claim, stating, that a person’s face tenses up in various muscles when they cry. In addition, they might have stress in the back of their head, down their neck, and in their jaw.
The above health news publication also states that tension headaches may arise from an individual’s muscles contracting continuously when they cry for an extended length of time.
