People who reported using their smartphones while sitting on the toilet were more likely to get hemorrhoids than those who did not use their smartphones while on the toilet. The findings come from a new study led by Chesan Ramprasad of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in the US and published in an open access journal. pro swan.
Millions of people suffer from hemorrhoids every year
Hemorrhoids are very common in the United States. Each year, nearly 4 million patients visit doctors and emergency rooms, resulting in more than $800 million in healthcare costs. In this disease, the veins in the anus or rectal area can swell, causing pain and bleeding.
Doctors and patients have long suspected that using a smartphone while sitting on the toilet causes hemorrhoids, but few scientific studies have investigated this possible link.
Study investigating phone habits in the bathroom
To investigate this question, Ramprasad et al. studied 125 adults undergoing screening colonoscopies. Participants completed an online survey asking about their lifestyle habits and typical behaviors when using the toilet. An endoscopist then examined the participants for signs of hemorrhoids.
Two-thirds of participants reported using their smartphones while on the toilet. These people were generally younger than those who said they didn’t use their phones in the bathroom.
The researchers found a clear difference after adjusting for factors that can influence hemorrhoid risk, such as age, exercise habits, and fiber intake. Participants who used their smartphones in the bathroom had a 46% higher risk of hemorrhoids than those who did not.
Extended toilet time may have an impact
Researchers also found that smartphone users tend to spend more time sitting on the toilet. About 37% of people who used their smartphones in the restroom reported spending more than 5 minutes there during a single visit. In comparison, only 7.1% of non-users reported staying that long.
When using their mobile phone, participants most often said they were reading the news or browsing social media.
Interestingly, this study found no association between straining to defecate and risk of hemorrhoids, a different conclusion from some previous studies.
Based on this finding, researchers believe that smartphone use may unintentionally increase the amount of time people spend sitting on the toilet. Sitting for long periods of time increases pressure on the tissues in the anal area, which can contribute to the development of hemorrhoids.
Meaning of health advice
The findings could help doctors provide patients with more practical guidance about toilet habits. Future studies could build on this work by following patients over longer periods of time or testing strategies designed to reduce smartphone use in the bathroom.
Trisha Pasricha, senior author of the study, explains: “Using a smartphone in the bathroom was associated with a 46% increased chance of developing hemorrhoids. We still don’t understand how smartphones and modern lifestyles affect our health. How and where we use our smartphones, such as while in the bathroom, can have unintended consequences.”
She also said the results support simple advice. “This study reinforces advice to the public to leave their smartphones outside the toilet and to avoid spending more than a few minutes defecating. If it takes longer, ask yourself why. Is it because it’s really difficult to defecate, or is it because my concentration is elsewhere?”
Pasricha added that smartphone apps are designed to grab attention and make it easier to lose track of time. “It’s easy to lose track of time when you’re scrolling on your phone. Popular apps are perfectly designed for that purpose. But sitting on the toilet for longer than you intended because you’re distracted by your phone can increase your risk of hemorrhoids. More research needs to be done on this, but a safe suggestion is to leave your phone outside the toilet when you need to defecate.”
Funding: TP: Funded by AGA Research Foundation Research Scholar Award-AGA2022-13-03. AGA had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
