Using your phone while on the toilet is a habit many people have, but experts warn that sitting on the toilet while browsing your phone increases the risk of developing hemorrhoids by 46%.
Dr. Theresa Pasricha of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in the United States said a new study has found that smartphone users tend to spend more time sitting on the toilet than non-users. This increases the risk of hemorrhoids, a condition involving painful swelling of the veins in the anus or rectal area.
"Using a smartphone on the toilet is associated with a 46% higher risk of developing hemorrhoids. We are still uncovering the many ways smartphones and modern lifestyles impact our health. Where and how we use phones, such as using them while on the toilet, can have unexpected consequences."
In this study, the research team recruited 125 adults who had already undergone colorectal cancer screening as study subjects. Participants answered online survey questions about their lifestyle and toilet habits, and doctors assessed them for hemorrhoids. Among all participants, two-thirds reported using a smartphone while on the toilet, and they tended to be younger than those who didn’t.
Those who used smartphones spent significantly more time on the toilet—37% of smartphone users spent more than 5 minutes per toilet visit, compared to only 7.1% of those who did not bring their phone to the bathroom.
Reading the news and browsing social media were the most common smartphone activities for respondents while on the toilet, with others replying to emails, sending texts, playing games, and watching videos.
Interestingly, contrary to some previous studies, this study found that straining while on the toilet was not linked to an increased risk of hemorrhoids.
Dr. Pasricha said, "This study supports the advice given to the public, which is not to bring your smartphone into the bathroom and to try to keep toilet time to a few minutes. If you’re on the toilet for a longer time, ask yourself why—is it really due to difficulty with bowel movements, or is your attention elsewhere? When we scroll on our phones, it’s easy to lose track of time, and popular apps are intentionally designed that way."