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I Keep Tearing Up, Is This the Last Signal My Body is Sending?

Have you ever experienced a sudden, unexplained outburst of tears? It can be embarrassing and worrying when tears well up in daily life without a sad movie or a touching moment. If this symptom repeats, it may be a crucial signal from your body's autonomic nervous system, beyond a simple emotional change.

💡 [Key Answer] 3 most common causes of "I keep tearing up": ① Autonomic nervous system imbalance / ② Difficulty in emotional regulation / ③ Chronic brain fatigue Dalimchae Clinic improves emotional regulation and addresses physical symptoms by increasing brain resilience through autonomic stabilization treatment.

When seeking help for tearing up, eye exams often show no issues, and psychiatric evaluations might only find mild stress. However, many cases cannot be explained by emotional factors alone. The autonomic nervous system, which regulates involuntary functions like heart rate and digestion, is closely linked to emotional responses. Persistent stress overactivates the sympathetic nervous system, leading to unexpected tear secretion—much like an overheated engine sending abnormal signals.

Tears are mainly secreted by glands controlled by the parasympathetic nervous system, but the sympathetic nervous system also plays a role in emotional crying. According to the 2017 paper "The neurobiology of human crying" in 『Frontiers in Psychology』, crying is linked to increased sympathetic activity, while the parasympathetic system helps restore physiological balance as crying stops. Tears may be part of the body's recovery process in stressful situations. However, if autonomic balance is broken, this recovery doesn't happen smoothly, leading to chronic, unregulated tearing and emotional instability.

In Korean medicine, unexplained tearing is linked to systemic circulation and organ imbalances, particularly in the Liver (肝) and Heart (心). Liver Qi stagnation from stress makes emotional regulation difficult, while Heart heat increases anxiety, triggering emotional tears. Autonomic stabilization treatment focuses on calming overactive sympathetic nerves and restoring parasympathetic function to address tearing, anxiety, insomnia, and chronic fatigue.

We focus on the root cause by restoring the body's self-regulation. A 2004 study in the 『Journal of Ethnopharmacology』 showed that traditional herbal remedies (Ondamtanggamibang) significantly reduced blood pressure, norepinephrine, and cortisol levels in stressed students while improving anxiety and depression. This aligns with Dalimchae's philosophy of reducing brain and autonomic overload through customized herbal medicine, acupuncture, and moxibustion—a process called 'Suseung-hwagang' (lowering heat and raising cool energy).

• Sudden tearing without a sad or touching situation.
• Tears flowing without eye irritation or dryness.
• Frequent emotional swings or feeling "choked up" over small things.
• Frequent feelings of anxiety or restlessness.
• Unexplained headaches or dizziness.
• Difficulty falling asleep or unrefreshing sleep.
• Physical discomfort like indigestion or chest tightness.
• Constant fatigue and lethargy.
• Frequent neck and shoulder tension.

Diagnosis Criteria:

• 3+ items: Autonomic imbalance suspected.
• 5+ items: Significant autonomic dysfunction likely. Visit Dalimchae for a precise diagnosis.

FAQ

Q. How long does treatment take? A. Generally, 3-6 months are needed for autonomic stabilization, depending on the severity and lifestyle.

Q. Can other symptoms like dizziness and headaches be treated together? A. Yes, autonomic stabilization addresses the root cause, helping improve various physical and mental symptoms simultaneously.

Q. I cry because of depression. Can Korean medicine help? A. Yes, we view depression as 'Ul-byeong' (stagnation) and use treatment to release blocked energy and stabilize the mind and body.

Don't ignore your body's signals. If you approach it correctly, the body reacts faster than you think. At Dalimchae, we will find the cause together.

Where life blooms. For herbal medicine, it's Dalimchae.

Medical Supervision | Oh Hyunmin, KMD, Dalimchae Clinic Songdo Branch. (Depression Column)