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6d ago

Study Finds 46% Higher Hemorrhoid Risk for People Who Use Phones on the Toilet

Researchers point to distraction-driven longer sitting as the likely factor.

Using your smartphone while you’re on the toilet could increase your chance of developing hemorrhoids, according to a new study.
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Overview

  • A PLOS One study at Beth Israel Deaconess surveyed 125 adults undergoing colonoscopy and found a 46% higher measured prevalence of hemorrhoids among smartphone users on the toilet after adjusting for key confounders.
  • Two-thirds of participants reported bringing a phone into the bathroom, and 37% of phone users sat longer than five minutes compared with 7% of non-users.
  • Clinicians note that lingering on a toilet seat can increase pressure on hemorrhoidal cushions, and this study did not detect an association with straining in its sample.
  • The authors highlight limits including a small, older-skewing cohort, reliance on self-reported toilet habits, and a cross-sectional design that cannot prove causation.
  • Practical guidance includes leaving phones outside the bathroom, keeping toilet time brief, and improving fiber intake and hydration, with calls for larger longitudinal research.