A new study finds using your smartphone on the toilet significantly raises your risk of haemorrhoids. Learn how this habit leads to a painful condition and get tips to prevent it.
A new study has discovered that using a smartphone while sitting on the toilet might raise the chances of getting haemorrhoids, a widespread and usually painful condition. The research was conducted by Chethan Ramprasad at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in the US and was published in the open-access journal PLOS One.
Haemorrhoids impact millions of people annually, with nearly four million doctor visits or trips to the emergency room in the US alone. The condition happens when veins in the anal or rectal region swell, which can lead to pain, itching, and bleeding. Although doctors and patients have always thought that spending too much time on the toilet might be a factor in causing haemorrhoids, there isn’t much research on whether using a smartphone contributes to the problem.
How Was the Study Conducted?
To check this, Ramprasad and his team studied 125 adults who were having routine colonoscopy checks. These participants filled out an online survey about their lifestyle and bathroom routines. During the procedure, doctors examined them for signs of haemorrhoids.
The study found that about two-thirds of the participants used their smartphones while on the toilet, and these individuals were generally younger than those who didn’t. After considering other factors that affect the risk of haemorrhoids, such as age, diet, and physical activity, the researchers found that smartphone users were 46 percent more likely to have haemorrhoids than non-users.
Harmful Effects
One possible reason is that using a smartphone tends to make people stay on the toilet longer. About 37 percent of smartphone users said they spent more than five minutes each time, while only 7 percent of non-users did. Most people used their phones for things like looking at social media or reading news. Staying on the toilet for longer periods can put more pressure on the veins in the anal area, which might lead to haemorrhoids.
Senior author Trisha Pasricha pointed out that smartphones are made to grab attention, making it easy to forget how much time has passed. She recommended keeping phones outside the bathroom and limiting toilet visits to reduce the risk. The study provides useful advice for healthcare professionals to help patients develop better bathroom habits, and it also opens up opportunities for more research on how modern habits, such as frequent smartphone use, can affect health.
This study contributes to the increasing body of evidence showing that everyday activities shaped by technology can have surprising health effects. It also shows that small changes, like not using phones on the toilet, could help prevent common issues like haemorrhoids.