We use our smartphones almost everywhere, even in the bathroom, even though we might not want to talk about it. A recent study of colonoscopy patients found that most used their phones to the toilet at least once a week – and that toilet phone users had a 46% increased risk of hemorrhoids.
The cause and effect are clear. Caught up in the news, gaming or social media, toilet users sit on the throne for longer, with research showing that phone users tend to spend more than 5 minutes on business. The study indicates that hemorrhoids are associated with prolonged sitting on the toilet, as well as constipation and increased straining.
Don’t miss any of our unbiased technical content and lab reviews. Add CNET as your preferred Google source.
What the study reveals
The 125 colonoscopy patients at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Study in Boston who participated in the study answered questions about their bathroom phone habits, and endoscopists evaluated their hemorrhoids (just in case you thought you had a bad job). Among all respondents, 66% used a smartphone while sitting on the toilet, and these participants tended to be younger than those who did not use it. More than a third (37.3%) of smartphone users spent more than 5 minutes sitting on the toilet per visit, while only 7.1% of those without a smartphone sat for that long.
When the figures were adjusted for age, gender, BMI, physical activity and “exertion and fiber consumption”, the results showed a 46% increase in the risk of hemorrhoids. Men were more likely than women to spend 6 minutes or more in the bathroom, in case you were wondering.
Those who used their smartphones while on the toilet also admitted to getting less exercise than those who didn’t, which the researchers said “could mean a higher level of engagement with technology and a more sedentary lifestyle outside of the toilet environment.” (Yes, the “toilet environment”. Otherwise known as “the toilet”.)
The most common activity on the phone was reading the news, with 54.3% admitting to doing so and 44.4% reporting engaging in social media while in the bathroom.
The study didn’t find a direct link between constipation and time spent on the toilet, but Dr. Eamonn Quigley, chairman of the gastroenterology department at Houston Methodist, told the New York Times that it’s likely that those who sit hunched over their phones while on the toilet are more likely to experience constipation.
What does all this mean to you
If the idea of your phone being closely tied to bathroom time disgusts you, you’re not alone. Doctors told the New York Times the obvious: fecal matter can fall on your hands while you’re wiping them and transfer to your phone, and flushing the toilet with the toilet lid open can also splash fecal matter onto your phone. Sure, you wash your hands, but now the content is on your phone, so it comes right back to your hands after you dry them and start scrolling again.
Bottom line, you’ll probably be scrolling on your phone while you’re busy in the bathroom. But this study highlights that you need to be aware that the phone’s fun distractions may make you sit still longer than expected, which could have painful consequences.
