3 medical concepts I love to explain, part II
This post is part of a very occasional series of random health-related tidbits I love to teach about.
1. Sad tears are actually productive
Unsurprisingly, patients in the hospital sometimes cry. And often, they say something like, "I'm sorry I'm crying!"
I almost always say, "Ohhhh, no, no, no. It's ok to cry. It will help you feel better."
That's because sad tears contain stress hormones, so you are actually releasing stress as you cry. Also, crying causes the body to release oxytocin and endogenous opioids, like endorphins.
This is not true of the tears your eyes produce when you cut an onion! Emotional tears are truly built different.
Isn't that amazing??
So, don't ever feel bad about crying. You are actually being very productive. 😉
For fact-checking reference: this Harvard article on emotional tears.
2. Sneezing releases endorphins
I have a rather overactive sneeze reflex; one of the main causes is going into the sunshine from a dark place.
Hilariously enough, this is called ACHOO syndrome (Autosomal-Dominant Compelling Helio-Ophthalmic Outburst syndrome), and it is a genetic trait.
(All of my children inherited this from me. When we would leave the grocery store together, there was always a round of sneezes as we entered the sunny parking lot!)
I also sneeze when I have mints, and even dark chocolate sometimes makes me sneeze.
Happily, it is scientifically true that the act of sneezing releases endorphins, which are feel-good chemicals.
I joke that this is why I have a good attitude about life; I credit all the sneezing endorphins.
And nowwwww I have typed the word "sneeze" so often, it looks like I am typing a nonsense word.
For fact checking reference: this Houston ENT article on sneezing.
3. When you're sick, it's mostly your immune system making you miserable
Maybe lots of other people already knew this. But I had this realization during my anatomy and physiology classes and it felt like a light bulb moment to me.
As it turns out, when your immune system goes to work to fight a bug, the immune response itself is largely what makes you feel crappy.
For instance, a fever is part of the immune response.
Increased mucous production and phlegm are an immune effort as well.
Symptoms such as malaise (fatigue) and inflammation result from the body's release of pro-imflammatory cytokines , which are chemical messengers of the immune system.
So, if you magically had no immune system, you could catch a cold and not display the usual variety of symptoms that we associate with a cold.
However, this would also mean your body had no means of fighting the cold, so....not be an overall win. 😉
Relatedly, this is why you sometimes feel sick after you get a vaccine. It's not because you are sick with whatever you got vaccinated against; it's just that the vaccine has appropriately triggered your immune response.
And the immune response is what gives you symptoms.
But rest assured; you are not actually infected with anything. Your immune system is just having a little dress rehearsal so that it can fight in the future.
So...maybe next time you have a runny nose and a fever, you can have a teeny time bit of appreciation for these signs that your immune system is busy going to battle for you. 🙂
(Obviously, this is a vast oversimplification of the whole process bcause this is a blog post and not a medical journal. Actual scientists, please avert your eyes. 😉 )
Thank you! I love to learn, and I learned some interesting stuff this morning from you before I even finished my tea.
@Martha C, same here. Not even halfway done with my coffee and already I know more than I did when I woke up. Thanks, Kristen!
Your post today reminded me of some of the comments my mom frequently told us kids when we were growing up.
I am someone who cries often. Whether it’s because of my own physical or emotional pain or that I feel empathetically when someone else is distressed, I cry. My mom would often say that when we cry, we stabilize and that something good happens in our brains. She would also remind us that having a fever isn’t necessarily a bad thing but that the body is fighting something. Thank you for the attached reference articles on crying , on sneezing and immunology … I look forward to reading them.
Kristen, I hope you get some good rest after your work shift today.
My kids laugh at me, but when I am very stressed out, I have certain books that I reread because I know they will make me cry (check out The Three Trees by Angela Elwell Hunt if you need a good cry.) I did not know there was a scientific basis for this, though!
My parents always admonished me for crying. But I recall reading in an older novel, “go home and have yourself a good cry and you’ll feel better.” This stuck with me, so when I got very overwhelmed, I would hide in my room and reread The Bridge to Terebinthia.
@Tarynkay, I am the same way! And my parents also told us not to cry (I think they felt uncomfortable around strong emotions and didn't know what to do). It wasn't until I met my DH and he kept assuring me that it WAS okay to cry, that tears helped our bodies get junk out (much like Kristen explains), that I learned to be better with crying.
@Tarynkay, Ha, that reminds me of a line in New Girl where the main character says 'well I'll just call you Bridge to Terabithia because you make children cry!' The actress was in the film as well! I've read the book a few times and it always makes me cry, even as an adult.
@Tarynkay,
Not the book, but the movie version of The Green Mile *always* makes me cry, right from the opening scenes. It's my go-to when I need a good cry.
I also had parents (mostly my mom) who would admonish me not to cry, or would say "Or I'll give you something to cry about". Yeah, that was helpful. (eye roll)
@Liz B., I agree with you about the movie version of The Green Mile. Now I feel like I should go watch it... 🙂
(As an aside, I like the book a lot, too. It's different from the movie in certain places, but is still good.)
Tarynkay, I watch the last scene of Homeward Bound when I need to cry but am having trouble letting myself do so. Works every time!
You never cease to impress me. You impart important information in such a clear and pleasant/entertaining way. The world is a better place for having you, and your blog, in it.
I have never heard of the sneeze thing - fascinating! Thanks for all the interesting bits!
I am a scientist and enjoyed your post very much! You have a very clear way of communicating complicated things. The sneezing thing is fascinating.
What a fun read! Thank you!!
Good morning Kristen,
I have an immune system question....I'm a little confused. Should we be attempting to strengthen our immune system and if so, how?? And then if our immune system even can be strengthened, does that make the symptoms lessened because our immune system doesn't have to work so hard?? I think I'm on the right track here, but would really like to know how and if the immune system can be factually strengthened. For example, if you have a stomach bug, could the vomiting, etc...possibly be less severe?? And recovery quicker?? Thanks.
Vicki
@Vicki Skonieczny, I'm not Kristen and I haven't studied medicine, so I might need to be corrected on this, but I heard that we lay out our immune system as kids and we cannot alter it as adults. We can, however, try and live healthy lifestyles so we might have easier recovery (again, this might need correcting!).
@Sophie in Denmark, I hope Kristen corrects you LOL!!! I have been reading up on this and discovered that good nutrition, exercise, stress reduction, vaccinations, etc....are all ways to ideally boost your immune system. I wanted her thoughts as she is new to this field and has access to the most up to date information. I certainly hope I'm reading accurate information because I would really like to benefit from overall symptom reduction and severity when I get ill, if it's possible. Thanks for the reply Sophie.
It's too late in the evening for me to do a reply with links to back me up, but here's my basic take on this: in general, a body in a solid state of health is going to be in better shape to do things like fight off diseases. Poor nutrition, lack of sleep, etc. make most systems in your body work more poorly, and that includes the immune system.
However, this idea that we can boost our immune system to super high levels is not quite right. You don't want an overactive immune system; auto-immune conditions are a type of overly active immune system!
My approach is: Do things that help to improve your overall health, and your immune system will also benefit.
Vaccines do help your immune system prepare to fight off particular diseases, but you have to have a decent immune system in order for the vaccines to work. Vaccines aren't super effective, for example, in someone who has had their immune system killed off prior to an organ transplant.
I feel like I am rambling, and that is probably because I need to go to bed. Ha.
@Vicki Skonieczny, I just did a quick read of some articles and the consensus seems to be that you can try and keep your immune system ‘balanced’ but you cannot improve it as an adult:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1bGNzff3qDWhyXKFchKJb6h/can-i-really-boost-my-immune-system
https://lloydspharmacy.com/blogs/cold-and-flu/boost-your-immune-system?srsltid=AfmBOoonTGLxX3YE3Q5cy9J6o4t1ISux5kAGWO16–5ExdMEqCkrtoAI
Hopefully Kristen will weigh in!
@Kristen, Am I right in understanding that your immune system is built as a child and you cannot add to it as an adult?
Fun genetic information! I learned that something I was taught in school regarding genetics was wrong; being able to roll your tongue is NOT hereditary! It's just weakness in parts of the tongue muscle(s?). Of course, I just did a search online to check this, and it seems that there is some disagreement. BUT my daughter is learning to do this for therapy. Learning this blew my mind.
Thanks for sharing about ACHOO syndrome. Very interesting
Oh these posts are fun!!.... keep them coming! Please and Thank You 🙂
Wow, my daughter had an assignment yesterday in school about the benefits of crying!!
Fun facts today, thanks!
Okay, I did not know that this is called ACHOO syndrome, which is a wonderful name. DH and I didn't/don't have it, but both of our kids do, so I guess this may be a recessive type trait? I think a couple of my grandkids have it. Even as a little girl, my oldest picked up on the fact that it always happened when they went from darker areas to bright sun, as it still does.
Crying makes me feel better, and now I know why! Crying very much gives me a headache, though, so I always work to stop after a short while. My parents were not very emotionally expressive, normally, but they never discouraged us from crying, and in fact, my mother always said that it would make me feel better, so go ahead and cry.
You KNOW someone was like, "hehehehe" when they named that syndrome!
I love these 'medical stuff in regular English' posts! My mom's a retired nurse and I grew up saying to her 'what does that mean in English, please'. lol
Well, now I feel better about crying at the drop of a hat! I hate that I cry when I'm frustrated though - it's very embarrassing.
I also sneeze in bright light!
I knew a little about the immune system response (and vaccines being a 'dress rehearsal') but not the ins and outs. I got my flu shot last week!
I have always been able to coax a sneeze out by looking at a sunny window, but only recently had the thing with peppermint Tums making me sneeze.
My immune system is hair-trigger and vaccinations always make me feel bad. The first shingles shot was awful, but far better than getting shingles!
Thank you for this! I love looking at all the symptoms as more of a positive thing instead of the sickness winning, so to speak. This will hopefully be a source of encouragement to our kids in future colds, etc. You have a great knack for explaining complex material in a very understandable way!
I do love now knowing that I have ACHOO syndrome! I always knew I inherited my sneezing fits from my dad but didn’t know they had that fun name.
I have the sneeze in bright light reflex (inherited from my father) but it was referred to as photic sneezing. I wonder if ACHOO syndrome is a newer term.
@CiCi, that's the term I had heard previously also. Whatever it is, I have it as well!
Kristen...... Thank you for today's post. It was fascinating and also uplifting because it's exactly opposite of why I thought I felt bad or was tired when I didn't feel well. I apparently am a 'Geek' for medical information as well (Who knew!!!) so I really enjoyed learning those little tidbits about my immune system. Interestingly I have wondered to myself more than once 'How do I know if my immune system is working well or not?', since obviously having a strong immune system is everyone's goal, and now I know that it is. I hope you'll do more on the same topic soon. Thank you again!!!!!
Thanks again for this education! I am truly enjoying learning science!
Never quite understood the way I was taught in public school.
Keep teaching! PLEASE!
Gosh, I love these pieces of information because they are so helpful to understand things we all have happening. I had always heard that when you have a reaction to a vaccine "you know it’s working." But I didn’t relate that info to actual illness symptoms. Please do more of these!
I love this post! I'm always up for learning more about how the body works, and your everyday people terms make it so easy to understand. I had heard about the sad tears before but the way you worded it is better than how I'd read it somewhere else.
I don't think I have the sunlight causing sneezes reflex, but I do have whatever makes you sneeze multiple times. Like a bunch of tiny sneezes instead of one or two big ones. Typically it's 3-4 little ones rapid fire, although my record is six (yes, I count while I sneeze). If I ever only do one normal sneeze I know I'm coming down with a cold because that is the only time I sneeze like the rest of the population.
Interestingly, one of my four kids also sneezes like this and 3 of 8 grandkids. Only 1 of those multi-sneezing grandkids is the child of the multi-sneezing son. The other two are from his 'normal' sneezing siblings.
my dad had the l loudest sneeze of anyone i ever knew. i have that sneeze. sometimes it is so loud i scare myself.
@Anita Isaac, Dr. Bestest Neighbor has the loudest sneeze I know. In summer when the windows are open, I can hear him from all the way across the street!
And I'm afraid that all sneezing does for me these days is cause leakage at the other end. Sorry if this is TMI. 😛
Hahaha, you think there is such a thing as TMI for ME????
@A. Marie i have that problem too. dr gave me gemtesa not sure if it works or not cause it has only been six days, i do sleep better nto having to go at night as much as before the gemtesa.
when you were at the jasna meeting at the morgan library, this past summer, my son and i were in a cab on the way to the orthodontist, i wanted to jump out to try to find you.
maybe next year we can meet irl.
btw my mother in law just bought a 2008 element that she may gift us eventually, she got it from her mechanic who fixed it up for his daughter, but she didn't want it.
Re: sneezing
I was somewhere (mall, maybe?) and I overheard a couple of tween girls. One of them sneezed a few times. When she finished she said 'I love sneezing', and her friend replied back with 'OMG me tooooo'. And I remember thinking it was just the most hilarious interaction but thanks to your explanation I now know their reasoning.
As always, thank you for your tidbits (medical and otherwise). What a great way to share in a small way with others the things you are passionate about.
As someone who's just getting over a cold, my mind is blown by the last one! And now I'm curious to know what the actual cold virus does to your body apart from the immune response. It must be pretty bad if human bodies have evolved to have such an all-out attack on the invaders! And do people who are immunosuppressed experience fewer immune-related cold symptoms? This is fascinating!
I think the answer is yes; for instance, I know that in the elderly population, it's common to get a UTI but not display the usual symptoms, and that's because an elderly immune system is not functioning in a top-notch fashion.
I love those medical fun facts!
My husband, who studied comedy, said that when your body doesn't know what to do, you either laugh or cry. So perhaps laughing releases the stress hormones as well?
I cry, or at least get teary and choked up, when I do not have the words to express what I am feeling.
I was just chatting with someone the other day about feeling better after sneezing, and now I know why!
"Your immune system is just having a little dress rehearsal…” is so funny!!
Love this post!
My maternal grandma had the sneeze reflex, my mom does not, I do! There is a canyon on a busy highway that I avoid at sunset because I go into fits of sneezing while driving...eeeks.
In my area the influenza vac rates are under 40%. So scary. Working in the icu, I unfortunately care for the often unvaccinated with comorbidities....meaning, one known disease and one or more underlying conditions that suppress the immune response.
Today we have high winds and the oak trees are having fun dancing in the wind, stripping their leaves. Walking to the barns I felt like I was in a parade.
The kitties (all 7), refuse to go outside. They are camped out on the window seats, the hearth and the kitchen chairs.
Overnight, I somehow rescued a pair of miniature donkeys.... Okay, I know how it happened, my back door neighbor , we have a walk thru gate between our properties. she has a horse rescue operation and she took in these donkeys. Next thing I know, my dog is happy barking in the front field...Johnny & June!
Silly pup is enamored and won't leave them.
So interesting! Thank you for confirming my suspicious about crying and sneezing. I love sneezing.
Here's a question for you: As it relates to the last question about your body's immune system response. Some people are very anti-cold meds/flu meds/other meds when they are sick. They say that by taking those meds, it's restricting the body's ability to fight off the cold. I say that my body is still fighting whatever, but I'm lessening how bad I feel because of the fight. What say you? Thoughts?
I have always been curious about this too. Like...a fever is helpful to a point. Inflammation is helpful to a point. But the body can get a little too over-zealous with these things.
I should do some digging around and find out the answer!
Point number three became clear to me when we participated in a covid vaccine trial. They (obviously) couldn't tell us if we were getting placebo or vaccine shots but, when the immune response kicked in, we knew.
A doctor told me one time if you have a cold it is good to sneeze because that is moving the mucus out of your sinuses. The same thing applies to coughing that thick cruddy cough you are moving the mucus out of your lungs.
Yes, as a rule I know that doctors prefer not to use cough suppressants during the day, because a productive cough is indeed helpful! But at night it can be smart to medicate so the sick person can sleep.
Yes! Someone else triggered by mints and dark chocolate! 🙂
Twinsies!
As someone who doesn't know a whole lot of medical stuff, I enjoy these posts. 🙂 You explain things really well! The crying thing is especially fascinating. And I love that shirt.
Aww, yay!
Whenever someone says to me, "I never get sick" or "It's been 8 years since I got sick" I get really worried about their immune system. They think it's great they don't get sick, but I think it's a sign their immune isn't functioning to protect them. We need to be sick to protect ourselves, just like you said 🙂 Great reminder for all of us!
RE: Crying. There's a great podcast episode by Brene Brown (Unlocking Us podcast). The episode is called "Burnout." At one point they talk about crying as being part of completing the Stress Cycle. What I love about it is that it talks about how your head can ruminate about what caused the tears which keeps you stuck in that place. But once you've identified the why of the tears, you can stop ruminating about the cause. They give tips how to make that transition.
@Renee, I really enjoyed Burnout byEmily and Amelia Nagoski which also goes into completing the Stress Cycle.
I’ve read that swearing also releases endorphins to relieve pain or stress, but it has to be real swearing. They’ve studied substitute swears and they don’t have the same effect.
Now every time I sneeze, I think of the ACHOO syndrome. And, I thank you for all those little medical tidbits, laughed my whole way through it, then shared it with friends.
great information!
Thanks