Public Library of Science – Survey participants who reported using a smartphone while on the toilet had a higher risk of hemorrhoids than non-users.
Chethan Ramprasad of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, U.S., and colleagues present these findings in a new study in the open-access journal PLOS One.
Every year in the U.S., hemorrhoids lead to nearly 4 million visits to the doctor or emergency room and more than $800 million in health care spending. Hemorrhoids involve swollen veins in the anal or rectal area and can cause pain and bleeding. Anecdotal evidence has linked smartphone use on the toilet with an increased risk of hemorrhoids.
However, few studies have explored whether smartphone use on the toilet is actually associated with hemorrhoid risk.
To help clarify, Ramprasad and colleagues conducted a study of 125 adults undergoing screening colonoscopy. The participants answered online survey questions about their lifestyle and toilet habits, and endoscopists evaluated them for hemorrhoids.
Among all participants, 66% reported using smartphones on the toilet, and they tended to be younger than non-users. After statistically accounting for other factors thought to possibly be linked with hemorrhoid risk—such as exercise habits, age, and fiber intake—the researchers found that participants who used a smartphone on the toilet had a 46% higher risk of hemorrhoids than non-users.
Time spent on the toilet was significantly higher for smartphone users than non-users; 37% of smartphone users spent more than five minutes at a time on the toilet compared to just 7.1% of non-users.
Reading news and using social media were the most commonly reported smartphone activities on the toilet. Interestingly, straining while using the toilet was not associated with increased hemorrhoid risk, in contrast to some prior studies.
On the basis of the findings, the researchers suggest that smartphone use may inadvertently prolong toilet time, potentially increasing pressure in anal tissues, which may then lead to hemorrhoids.
This study could help inform clinicians’ recommendations to patients. Future research could also expand on these findings, such as by tracking patients over time and exploring interventions to limit prolonged smartphone use on the toilet.
Trisha Pasricha, senior author of the study, adds, “Using a smartphone while on the toilet was linked to a 46% increased chance of having hemorrhoids. We’re still uncovering the many ways smartphones and our modern way of life impact our health. It’s possible that how and where we use them—such as while in the bathroom—can have unintended consequences.”
“This study bolsters advice to people in general to leave the smartphones outside the bathroom and to try to spend no more than a few minutes to have a bowel movement. If it’s taking longer, ask yourself why. Was it because having a bowel movement was really so difficult, or was it because my focus was elsewhere?”
“It’s incredibly easy to lose track of time when we’re scrolling on our smartphones—popular apps are designed entirely for that purpose. But it’s possible that constantly sitting longer on the toilet than you intended because you’re distracted by your smartphone could increase your risk of hemorrhoids.
“We need to study this further, but it’s a safe suggestion to leave the smartphone outside the bathroom when you need to have a bowel movement.”
