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What was once a space for reading a newspaper or magazine has now been transformed into another moment for endless scrolling, yet using your phone on the toilet could actually leave you at risk of developing hemorrhoids as medical experts highlight the painful consequences.
Nearly four million people head to hospital with hemorrhoids every single year in the United States, as per SciTechDaily, and it wouldn't be surprising to see a large number of those cases linked to toilet-based scrolling.
The condition itself causes veins within your anus or rectum to become swollen, leading to significant irritation, pain, and even bleeding — all of which can make your life incredibly uncomfortable when dealing with hemorrhoids.
New research published in PLOS One from health experts at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, U.S., outlines the significant increase in risk for developing hemorrhoids among those who use their phone on the toilet, and it is also unsurprisingly linked to a greater degree among younger individuals too.
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Two thirds of a group of 125 adults within a scientific study indicated that they used their phone while on the toilet, and routine colonoscopies were performed to indicate whether this behavior had led to the development of the painful condition.
Resulting from the study – and accounting for other factors that could influence the development of hemorrhoids, like the age of the participants, their physical activity, and the amount of fiber they consume within their diet – lead author Chethan Ramprasad revealed that people using their phone on the toilet have a 46% increased risk.
It appears to specifically relate to the amount of time that users spend on the toilet, and not necessarily linked to the impact that using your phone specifically has on your anus or rectum.
Due to the potentially endless nature of scrolling on social media – which itself has been shown to be harmful through certain apps like TikTok – it's easy to spend over five minutes on the toilet per trip, with some even regularly spending more than 10.
For example, those who confessed to using their phone on toilet confessed to spending more than 5 minutes 37% of the time, whereas those who abstain from any gadgets spend more than 5 minutes only 7.1% of the time.
This shocking correlation has prompted some medical experts to wonder whether there's a way of addressing people's innate desire to use their phone while on the toilet, with senior author Trisha Parischa hypothesizing about potential change.
"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," she outlined.
"This study bolsters advice to people in general to leave their smartphones outside the bathroom and try to spend no more than a few minutes to have a bowel movement.
"If it's taking longer, ask yourself why," Parischa added. "Was it because having a bowel movement was really so difficult, or was it because my focus was elsewhere?"
It's definitely something to think about next time you whip out your phone while parked on the toilet seat, as you won't want to deal with the painful consequences that might emerge just to see a few more tweets or enjoy an extra couple reels on Instagram.
