We use our smartphones almost everywhere, even in the bathroom, although we may not want to talk about it. A recent study colonoscopy patients showed that most of them used phones in the toilet at least once a week, and that those who used their phones in the toilet had a 46% increased risk of developing hemorrhoids.
The cause and effect are clear. Captivated by news, games or social media, bathroom users stay on the throne longer, and studies show that phone users tend to spend more than 5 minutes on their errands. The study says hemorrhoids are associated with sitting on the toilet for long periods of time, as well as constipation and increased stress.
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What the study shows
The 125 colonoscopy patients at Boston's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center who participated in the study answered questions about their bathroom phone habits and had endoscopists evaluate their hemorrhoids (in case you think you're doing a bad job). Of all respondents, 66% used their smartphones while sitting on the toilet, and participants tended to be younger than those who did not. More than a third (37.3%) of smartphone users spent more than 5 minutes on the toilet per visit, while only 7.1% of those without smartphones spent that much time sitting on the toilet.
When the figures were adjusted for age, sex, BMI, physical activity and “strain and fiber intake,” the results showed a 46% increase in the risk of hemorrhoids. In case you were wondering, men were more likely than women to spend 6 minutes or more on the toilet.
Those who used smartphones while going to the toilet also admitted to exercising less than those who did not, which the researchers said “may mean higher levels of interaction with technology and more sedentary behavior outside the toilet.” (Yes, “toilet environment”. Otherwise it is simply called “toilet”.)
The most common activity on the toilet phone was reading the news, with 54.3% admitting to doing so and 44.4% saying they had accessed social media while on the toilet.
The study did not directly link constipation to time spent on the toilet, but Dr. Eamonn Quigley, chairman of the department of gastroenterology at Houston Methodist University, told The New York Times that those who sit hunched over the telephone in the toilet are likely to be more likely to suffer from constipation.
What does all this mean for you
If you're irritated by the idea of your phone being closely associated with going to the bathroom, you're not alone. Doctors told the New York Times the obvious: feces can get on your hands while you wipe them and get on your phone, and flushing with the toilet lid open can also get feces on your phone. Sure, you wash your hands, but now that information is on your phone, so it goes right back to your hands after you dry them and start scrolling again.
In short, you'll probably be scrolling on your phone while you're in the bathroom. But this study notes that you should be aware that fun phone distractions can make you sit on it longer than you intended, and that can have painful consequences.
