Overview

• A peer‑reviewed PLOS One cross‑sectional study of 125 screening‑colonoscopy patients found endoscopically confirmed hemorrhoids were 46% more likely in toilet phone users after adjustment for confounders.
• Two‑thirds reported using phones in the bathroom, and 37% of users spent more than five minutes per visit versus 7% of nonusers, pointing to extended time on the seat as the key concern.
• Straining showed no independent association with hemorrhoids in this cohort, shifting attention toward prolonged sitting without pelvic floor support.
• Authors and outside gastroenterologists emphasize the findings are associative, with limitations including small sample size, self‑reported behaviors, and an older screening population that may limit generalizability.
• Researchers advise simple precautions—leave the phone outside and cap toilet time near five minutes—and say intervention and longitudinal studies are planned to test causality.