Scrolling too long while on the toilet? You could be risking haemorrhoids

The study found smartphone users spent more than five minutes per visit, increasing haemorrhoid risk by 46%. Photo / Getty Images

Prolonged smartphone use on the toilet could be linked to a higher risk of haemorrhoids, not because of increased straining, but because of how much longer people sit, according to research published Wednesday.

A cross-sectional analysis of 125 patients undergoing screening colonoscopies found that smartphone users in the group spent significantly more time on the toilet, according to the study published in PLOS One from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre in Boston. About 37% of people who were part of the study and reported using smartphones on the toilet spent more than five minutes per bathroom visit compared with 7% of non-users.

After adjusting for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), fibre intake, physical activity and straining, smartphone use was associated with a 46% increased risk of haemorrhoids.

Chethan Ramprasad, one of the study authors who specialises in gastrointestinal motility, said haemorrhoids are often overlooked because they were “not taken as seriously”, even though millions of dollars of health care expenditure go to treating them.

“No one really wants to talk about something that’s in their anus rectum, but this is incredibly human,” Ramprasad said.

Trisha Pasricha, the senior author of the study, is the Ask a Doctor columnist for the Washington Post. She was not involved in the reporting of this article.

Why is sitting on the phone with your toilet a problem?

Phones are a bathroom companion for most people. A 2022 study found that 65% of Americans said they use their phones on the toilet. Researchers said the distraction leads to longer toilet sessions, which leads to the increased risk of haemorrhoids.

Straining, which has been historically considered a major factor, was not significantly associated with haemorrhoids in the study group, which researchers say suggests that time spent sitting on the toilet may be a more important risk factor.

Many gastroenterologists have long warned against sitting on the toilet for prolonged periods. The study authors say “sitting on a standard toilet seat, without any support to the pelvic floor, disproportionately increases pressure in the hemorrhoidal cushions. As this pressure persists over time, these cushions may become engorged and thereby develop into appreciable hemorrhoids.”

Most people surveyed as part of the study did not realise their phones were prolonging their toilet visits, underscoring a gap between perception and actual behaviour.

Haemorrhoids are swollen or inflamed veins in the anus and lower rectum and can be caused by factors including pregnancy, low fibre intake, chronic constipation or diarrhoea and being overweight. While not cancerous, haemorrhoids can be uncomfortable, painful and are sometimes accompanied with bleeding.

Nonsurgical treatment of the ailment is costly. Research from 2014 found that about 1.4 million people insured by their employers sought haemorrhoid care that year, costing US$770 million ($1.3b). And nearly half of people older than 50 will have haemorrhoids at some point in their life, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases recommends maintaining a fibre-rich diet, staying hydrated, exercising regularly and avoiding long periods of sitting on the toilet to help reduce the risk.

What measures can you take to prevent haemorrhoids?

Jessica D. Dahmus, assistant professor of medicine at the Penn State College of Medicine and a gastroenterologist with Penn State Health who was not involved in the survey, said she recommends her patients spend only five to 10 minutes on the toilet and avoid bringing their cellphones into the bathroom.

She also said increasing fibre can help minimise constipation, which can prevent the straining that can lead to haemorrhoids.

The recommended daily intake is 25g for women and 30g for men, but most Americans fall short, Dahmus said.

Research published in 2017 from the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine found that only about 5% of the population meets the daily recommendation for fibre intake.

Experts say fibre-rich foods include beans, lentils, whole grains, berries and leafy greens, which can help soften stool and bowel movement, reducing pressure on rectal veins.

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