Scrolling on your phone on the toilet raises health risk no one wants to talk about

A new study suggests that bringing your smartphone into the bathroom could raise your risk of hemorrhoids by nearly 50%.

Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston found that adults who use their phones while sitting on the toilet face a 46% higher risk of developing the painful condition, according to findings published this week in the journal PLOS One.

The study surveyed 125 adults undergoing colonoscopies and compared their bathroom habits. Of the participants, 66% admitted to using their phones on the toilet. 

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People who said they took their phone into the bathroom were 46% more likely to have hemorrhoids compared to the others, regardless of age, weight, sex or fiber intake. Hemorrhoids – swollen veins in or around the rectum and anus that can cause pain, itching and bleeding – are often linked to straining during bowel movements and prolonged sitting on the toilet.

About 37% of participants who brought their phones into the bathroom sat for longer than five minutes, while only 7% of non-users lingered that long.

Younger adults, particularly those in their 40s and 50s, were especially prone to the habit compared to those over 60. Respondents said they typically used their phones to read news, scroll social media, or send texts and emails.

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“Whether someone is reading email or playing a game, the risk likely comes from how long they’re sitting,” said lead author Dr. Chethan Ramprasad, a gastroenterologist at Beth Israel Deaconess and faculty member at Harvard Medical School. 

The risk remained even when researchers accounted for other factors including straining, fiber intake and exercise routines.

“This extended duration may be linked to the passive engagement that smartphones facilitate, potentially resulting in prolonged sitting and increased pressure in the hemorrhoidal cushions,” the researchers wrote.

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Toilets keep the rectum and pelvic floor unsupported compared to sitting in a chair, causing more pressure on rectal veins, according to the researchers.

Ramprasad noted that posture can also play a role and that toilet stools, which prop up the feet and put the body in a more natural squatting position to help eliminate straining, can help, but do not solve the underlying problem.

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“Tools like a Squatty Potty can reduce straining, but they won’t offset the risk of just sitting too long,” he said. “If you’re on your phone for 10 minutes, you’re still exposing those veins to pressure.”

Hemorrhoids are among the most frequent gastrointestinal complaints in the United States, sending nearly 4 million people to clinics and emergency rooms each year, according to BIDMC. 

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The researchers called for long-term studies to confirm causality and explore prevention strategies, and while younger participants were more likely to use their phones and had higher hemorrhoid prevalence, they can’t say yet if that is because of phone use specifically or other age-related behavior.

In the meantime, Ramprasad advises to keep things moving.

“Do what you need to do, then stand up and move on,” he said. “Don’t turn the bathroom into a scrolling break.”