What Causes the Lump in the Back of the Throat When We Cry? (And Why Do We Cry)

TL;DR

The feeling of a lump in your throat, known as the globus sensation, is caused by muscles in your glottis. Crying when sad is a complex process influenced by hormones and the need for emotional release.

Transcript

you’ve been subjected to watching The Notebook with your spouse, you might have experienced an uncomfortable lump in your throat. As you attempt to breath heavy and avoid crying like a little kid who has just skinned her knee, you might wonder, what causes the feeling of a lump in your throat? For that matter, why do we cry when we’re sad? The lump... Read More

Key Insights

• 😥 The feeling of a lump in your throat when you're sad is caused by the opening and closing of muscles in your glottis.
• 😂 Tears are produced by lacrimal glands and can be classified into basal tears, reflex tears, and emotional tears.
• 😂 Emotional tears contain hormones, proteins, and substances that provide pain-killing effects.
• 😢 Crying may have evolutionary benefits by signaling the need for help or empathy.
• 🧔‍♀️ Women cry more frequently than men, possibly due to higher levels of prolactin.
• 😢 Crying has healing benefits, including mood-lifting and calming effects.
• 😟 Disabling nerves that stimulate the sympathetic nervous system can result in increased crying.

Questions & Answers

Q: What causes the feeling of a lump in your throat when you're sad?

The lump in your throat, known as the globus sensation, is caused by the opening of muscles in your glottis, allowing more oxygen to enter your lungs. It is triggered by the sympathetic nervous system.

Q: Why do we cry when we're sad?

Crying is a complex process influenced by hormones and the need for emotional release. Emotional tears contain hormones like ACTH and prolactin, as well as pain-killing substances like leucine enkephalin.

Q: Do women cry more than men?

Yes, on average, women cry five times more than men. This could be due to higher levels of prolactin in women's bodies.

Q: What are the healing benefits of crying?

Crying has mood-lifting effects due to the presence of pain-killing substances like leucine enkephalin. It also has calming effects and helps the body to calm down after a stressful event.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The lump in your throat, known as the globus sensation, occurs when the muscles in your glottis open to allow more oxygen to enter your lungs, triggered by the sympathetic nervous system.

• Crying is a complex process that involves the release of different types of tears. Basal tears lubricate the eyes, reflex tears respond to irritants, and emotional tears contain hormones and pain-killing substances.

• Emotional tears may have evolutionary benefits by signaling the need for help or empathy. Crying also has healing benefits, such as mood-lifting and calming effects.