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Scrolling while on the toilet linked to higher risk of hemorrhoids
New study supports anecdotal claims about the risks of using a smartphone during toilet time
Survey participants who reported using a smartphone while on the toilet had a higher risk of hemorrhoids than non-users. Chethan Ramprasad of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, U.S., and colleagues present these findings in a new study in the open-access journal PLOS One on September 3, 2025.
Every year in the U.S., hemorrhoids lead to nearly 4 million visits to the doctor or emergency room and more than $800 million in healthcare spending. Hemorrhoids involve swollen veins in the anal or rectal area and can cause pain and bleeding. Anecdotal evidence has linked smartphone use on the toilet with increased risk of hemorrhoids.
However, few studies have explored whether smartphone use on the toilet is actually associated with hemorrhoid risk. To help clarify, Ramprasad and colleagues conducted a study of 125 adults undergoing screening colonoscopy. The participants answered online survey questions about their lifestyle and toilet habits, and endoscopists evaluated them for hemorrhoids.
Among all participants, 66 percent reported using smartphones on the toilet, and they tended to be younger than non-users. After statistically accounting for other factors thought to possibly be linked with hemorrhoid risk—such as exercise habits, age, and fiber intake—the researchers found that participants who used a smartphone on the toilet had a 46 percent higher risk of hemorrhoids than non-users.
Time spent on the toilet was significantly higher for smartphone users than non-users; 37 percent of smartphone users spent more than 5 minutes at a time on the toilet compared to just 7.1 percent of non-users. Reading news and using social media were the most commonly reported smartphone activities on the toilet. Interestingly, straining while using the toilet was not associated with increased hemorrhoid risk, in contrast to some prior studies.
On the basis of the findings, the researchers suggest that smartphone use may inadvertently prolong toilet time, potentially increasing pressure in anal tissues, which may then lead to hemorrhoids.
This study could help inform clinicians’ recommendations to patients. Future research could also expand on these findings, such as by tracking patients over time and exploring interventions to limit prolonged smartphone use on the toilet.
Trisha Pasricha, senior author of the study, adds: “Using a smartphone while on the toilet was linked to a 46 percent increased chance of having hemorrhoids. We're still uncovering the many ways smartphones and our modern way of life impact our health. It's possible that how and where we use them—such as while in the bathroom—can have unintended consequences.”
“This study bolsters advice to people in general to leave the smartphones outside the bathroom and to try to spend no more than a few minutes to have a bowel movement. If it's taking longer, ask yourself why. Was it because having a bowel movement was really so difficult, or was it because my focus was elsewhere?”
“It's incredibly easy to lose track of time when we're scrolling on our smartphones—popular apps are designed entirely for that purpose. But it's possible that constantly sitting longer on the toilet than you intended because you're distracted by your smartphone could increase your risk of hemorrhoids. We need to study this further, but it's a safe suggestion to leave the smartphone outside the bathroom when you need to have a bowel movement.”
Expert Reaction
These comments have been collated by the Science Media Centre to provide a variety of expert perspectives on this issue. Feel free to use these quotes in your stories. Views expressed are the personal opinions of the experts named. They do not represent the views of the SMC or any other organisation unless specifically stated.
Dr Jarrah Dowrick, Research Fellow with the Gastrointestinal Research Group at the Auckland Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland
"From what I can see, this paper is a thinly veiled study of the relationship between time spent on the toilet and haemorrhoids, but using the catchier hook of "phone use" to attract wider attention. While the reality of modern screen addiction does make the smartphone narrative more compelling, the real story here is that spending longer on a seated toilet appears to be linked with haemorrhoid presentation.
"This is still an important finding. There is a surprising lack of evidence for commonly believed haemorrhoid risk factors like low fibre intake, straining, constipation, age, sex differences, pregnancy, and time on the toilet. Studies like this one are vital to empower clinicians to make evidence-based recommendations to patients. Phone or no, this study suggests limiting each visit to the toilet to five minutes when possible.
"Also, there is a question surrounding the suitability of modern toilet design for human anatomy, but that doesn’t appear to be a question the authors wanted to broach. Sitting on a standard toilet seat is thought to put excessive pressure on the haemorrhoidal cushions due to the lack of pelvic floor support and acuteness of the anorectal angle.
"There are some key limitations of this study to bear in mind. Due to the modest sample size of 125 people, there is considerable uncertainty around how much of a risk factor toilet-bound phone use might be. Also most of the data were collected using questionnaires, which can introduce recall bias, where participants do not accurately remember past events. The selection criteria also meant that the youngest study participant was 45, so the conclusions might not represent the general population. Finally, with this being a cross-sectional study (i.e., a snapshot in time), the authors could not explore relationships between when participants started regularly using smartphones on the toilet and when they presented with haemorrhoids."
Dr Alex Beattie, Lecturer in Media and Communication and digital wellbeing expert, Victoria University of Wellington
"This study adds to a growing body of research showing how smartphones have infiltrated even the most private corners of our lives and bodies. We already know that screen time before bed can disrupt sleep, and that phones at the dinner table can interfere with family connection. Now, it seems, our bathroom habits aren’t safe either, with this research finding that prolonged smartphone use on the toilet increases the risk of haemorrhoids.
"It’s quite telling that the study found men were more likely than women to use their phones on the toilet, though this difference wasn’t statistically significant. Still, it reflects a broader truth of this digitally saturated era – that smartphones are often used as a form of escape: from parenting, from domestic routines, and sometimes from other people.
"With phones being discouraged in the bedroom, at the dinner table, and now in the bathroom, we’re left wondering: where can we mindlessly scroll? While most digital wellbeing advice encourages us to slow down when we disconnect from our devices, this paper suggests the opposite, at least when it comes to toilet time. A mindful poo, it turns out, is a quick one."
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