There's nothing worse than being sick with a cold. The runny nose, the coughing, and the constant sneezing are enough to make anyone miserable. But what if you just can't stop crying? Some people believe that crying when you're sick can actually make your symptoms worse. Is there any truth to this theory?
To Cry or Not to Cry: That is the Question
Crying is a natural response to emotional stress, but it's also something our body does when we're physically unwell - ever noticed how sometimes you cry instead of sneeze? When our eyes tear up in response to illness it can be both irritating and embarrassing – especially if your boss catches you sniffling during an important meeting!
But here’s where things start getting interesting – some folks think that shedding tears whilst ill won’t help quicken recovery times therefore will prolong recovery periods.
So what exactly happens when we cry while sick?
Crying Whilst Sick: A Sore Throat Gets Even Sorer
When we get sick, we produce more mucus as part of our immune response which helps trap germs so they don't spread further throughout out system; however excess mucous production leading from excessive crying often leads down throat rather than sinus pathways annoyingly irritating sensitive areas along its way down - exacerbating any soreness that was already present prior.
It’s like putting salt on the proverbial wound- amplifying pain levels, why oh why would anybody want extra suffering piled onto their already high stack should’ve been retained for reference later on.
But wait…there could be another side effect too;
Can Your Tear Ducts Actually Spread Germs Further Down into Your Respiratory System?
Right about now is probably time for everyone reading this right now imagine those tiny delicate tubes running the length of your nose all the way to those little air sacs at the edge vocal cords: that’s right, we’re talking about respiratory pathways.
Now imaging germs entrenched in tear duct mucus membranes with subsequent overflow – matter doesn’t just hang around here –it runs down your face and possibly splash taking potentially dangerous microscopic organisms further into your system upon accidental inhalation (which- let's face it - can occur ever so easily).
So whilst it is possible to cleanse irritated & struggling eyes with saline; choosing an alternative for tired crying ‘grumpy-old-self’ could be a wise choice when flu strikes!
Conclusion
It may not be entirely clear whether or not crying makes a cold worse. However, there are some plausible reasons why people might believe this myth- namely as a result of amplified pain levels due increased mucous flow travel through throat rather than sinus channels when one cries during illness. Also more interestingly, overflow within tear ducts spreading germs unintentionally resulting from physical action involved in shedding tears which ends up affecting their depth of breathing via falling toxins invading lower lung compartment spaces creating new problems altogether.
At the end of the day if you need to cry...just get something waterproof on standby: safety should always come first!