Overview

• Researchers surveyed 125 adults undergoing screening colonoscopy and found smartphone users were 46% more likely to have hemorrhoids.
• About 66% reported taking their phones to the bathroom, and 37% of users sat more than five minutes per visit versus 7.1% of non‑users.
• The association held after adjusting for age, exercise and fiber intake, and straining was not associated with increased risk.
• Independent clinicians caution that the small, self‑reported, cross‑sectional study cannot establish causation and may reflect lifestyle confounders.
• Doctors recommend leaving phones outside the bathroom, using short timers, and keeping toilet sessions brief while larger, longitudinal research proceeds.