Scrolling too long on the toilet? You may be increasing your risk of hemorrhoids.

What new research says about your phone, the toilet, and hemorrhoids

Using your smartphone for prolonged periods while on the toilet may raise the risk of hemorrhoids. This is not because of extra straining, but because people end up sitting much longer, according to research published Wednesday.

A cross-sectional study of 125 patients undergoing colonoscopy screenings found that smartphone users spent significantly more time on the toilet. The study, published in PLOS One by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, reported that 37 percent of participants who used phones on the toilet stayed longer than five minutes per visit, compared with only 7 percent of non-users.

After adjusting for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), fiber intake, physical activity, and straining, smartphone use was associated with a 46 percent higher risk of hemorrhoids.

Chethan Ramprasad, one of the study’s authors and a gastrointestinal motility specialist, explained that hemorrhoids are often dismissed:

“No one really wants to talk about something that’s in their anus or rectum, but this is incredibly human. Millions of dollars are spent on care every year.”

The senior author, Trisha Pasricha — also The Washington Post’s “Ask a Doctor” columnist — did not contribute to reporting this article.

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

For most people today, phones have become bathroom companions. A 2022 survey found that 65 percent of Americans use their phones while on the toilet. Researchers note that this distraction lengthens bathroom visits, thereby raising hemorrhoid risk.

Straining, long considered the primary factor, was not significantly associated with hemorrhoids in the study. This suggests that time spent sitting on the toilet may be a more important risk factor.

Gastroenterologists have long warned that prolonged sitting on toilets is harmful. The study authors explained:

“Sitting on a standard toilet seat without pelvic floor support increases pressure on hemorrhoidal cushions. Over time, this persistent pressure causes swelling that can develop into hemorrhoids.”

Most participants were unaware that using their phone was prolonging toilet time — showing a gap between perception and actual behavior.

Hemorrhoids are swollen or inflamed veins in the anus and lower rectum. They can be caused by pregnancy, low fiber diets, chronic constipation or diarrhea, and being overweight. While not cancerous, they can be painful, uncomfortable, and sometimes involve bleeding.

Nonsurgical treatments are also costly. Research from 2014 found that 1.4 million insured Americans sought hemorrhoid treatment that year, costing $770 million. Johns Hopkins Medicine estimates that nearly half of people over 50 will experience hemorrhoids at some point.

The U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases recommends eating a fiber-rich diet, drinking water, exercising, and avoiding long periods of sitting on the toilet to lower risk.

What can you do to prevent hemorrhoids?

Jessica D. Dahmus, assistant professor of medicine at Penn State College of Medicine and a gastroenterologist with Penn State Health, who was not involved in the study, advises patients to spend only 5–10 minutes on the toilet and avoid bringing phones into the bathroom.

She added that increasing dietary fiber reduces constipation and the straining that can lead to hemorrhoids.

Daily recommendations: 25 grams for women and 30 grams for men. Most Americans fall short, Dahmus said.

A 2017 study in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine found that only about 5 percent of people meet the daily fiber recommendation.

Experts recommend beans, lentils, whole grains, berries, and leafy greens — all of which soften stool, ease bowel movements, and reduce pressure on rectal veins.

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