Americans spend two days a year scrolling on their phone while using the toilet, according to a recent survey. Now, new research warns of the hidden dangers of bringing a smartphone into the stall with you.
Smartphone use during toilet time is linked to a 46 percent increased risk of hemorrhoids, according to researchers at Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
Hemorrhoids are swollen veins inside of the rectum or outside of the anus that can cause pain, itchiness, and anal bleeding. An estimated one in 20 Americans have painful and irritating hemorrhoids, which affect more than half of people over age 50.
Every year, they result in nearly four million visits to the doctor or ER in the U.S., and more than $800 million in healthcare spending.
“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,” Beth Israel’s Dr. Trisha Pasricha said in a statement.
People who use their smartphone on the toilet were five times as likely to spend more than five minutes on the toilet than non-smartphone users, according to the researchers. They are most often reading the news and using social media.
And half of smartphone users report sitting longer than intended on the toilet because of their smartphones. Americans spend at least four hours on their phones every day, according to Harmony Healthcare IT.
The research included 125 adult participants who were undergoing colonoscopy screening. The participants answered questions online about their toilet time and doctors evaluated them for hemorrhoids.
Of the 66 percent who reported using their smartphones on the toilet, the majority tended to be younger than non-users.
The researchers also found that straining while using the toilet was not associated with increased hemorrhoid risk, contrasting with previous assessments that said straining could cause more hemorrhoids. However, too much time on the toilet can potentially increase pressure in anal tissues, they said, resulting in hemorrhoids.
Too much pressure placed on the veins around the rectum or anus and irregular bowel movements cause hemorrhoids. Activities known to cause this pressure include weightlifting, constipation or diarrhea, pregnancy, eating a low fiber diet, and having anal sex, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
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Symptoms of hemorrhoids often improve with at-home treatments, such as taking laxatives and over-the-counter medications, eating more fiber, drinking more water, and soaking in warm baths for 10 to 20 minutes a day. People should seek help from a medical professional if signs don’t improve after a week of at-home treatments.
To prevent hemorrhoids, stay hydrated, eat fiber, stay active, go to the bathroom when needed, and don’t sit for too long on the toilet — especially while using a phone.
The researchers hope their findings can help to inform patient care and lead to future research in the area.
“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,” said Pasricha. “Was it because having a bowel movement was really so difficult, or was it because my focus was elsewhere?”
