Until now, there’s been no published evidence on the impact of smartphones on our “toileting habits,” says the senior author of the study, Trisha Pasricha, MD, MPH, a gastroenterologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and the author of the forthcoming book You’ve Been Pooping All Wrong.
“The advice we had been giving patients — to limit the time spent in the bathroom — was largely based on older studies from decades ago, back when reading the newspaper in the bathroom was the norm,” she says.
Dr. Pasricha suspected smartphones had changed our bowel habits. “It was about time we studied that better,” she says.
Phone Use Encourages People to Sit on the Toilet Longer
To determine the health effects of toilet scrolling, researchers surveyed 125 adults scheduled for a screening colonoscopy about their toilet habits, diet, exercise, and smartphone use.
The team also looked at participants’ colonoscopy results to determine the presence of hemorrhoids — swollen, enlarged veins that form inside the rectum, or externally, under the skin around the anus (where poop comes out).
Here are some of the study’s key findings.
- Hemorrhoid risk increased with phone use. After adjusting for age, sex, BMI, physical activity, straining while pooping, and fiber intake, the study revealed that smartphone use on the toilet was associated with a 46 percent increased risk of hemorrhoids.
- Phone use was common. Two out of three participants reported using a phone while on the toilet, and phone users tended to be younger: 55 years old on average, versus 62 for non–phone users.
- Phone users spent more time on the toilet. More than one-third (37 percent) of phone users spent longer than 5 minutes per toilet visit; just 7 percent of non–phone users spent that long on the toilet.
- News and social media draw people in. The most common activities of participants who scrolled on the toilet were reading news (54 percent) and using social media (44 percent).
Straining was not independently predictive of hemorrhoids, and baseline constipation did not differ between groups. The authors suggest the time spent on the toilet may matter more.
“Our study didn’t prove causation, but my hypothesis is that sitting for long periods of time on an open toilet bowl, without any pelvic floor support can weaken the supportive tissue of our hemorrhoids, causing them to bulge,” Pasricha says.
How Is Scrolling on Your Phone Different From Reading?
Reading in the bathroom in and of itself doesn’t raise hemorrhoid risk, says Pasricha. Reading can help people relax, which is great for pooping, she says.
But scrolling on a phone and reading, say, a print magazine, aren’t the same. If you’re reading an article in a magazine, you have to make a conscious decision about whether you’re going to turn the page, Pasricha points out.
“Smartphone use in particular seems to distract people more than other kinds of reading material. As we’ve seen in other areas, many apps on smartphones are designed to distract us and maximize our time spent using them,” says Pasricha. Unlike print articles, the next video just starts playing in whatever app we’re using, and the algorithm will likely show us something we’ll have trouble turning away from, she adds.
Bottom Line: Phones and Pooping Aren’t a Winning Combination
Pasricha’s advice is simple: Leave the smartphones outside the bathroom.
“Just as we advise keeping them away from our bedside or dining tables to improve our well-being, the bathroom should be no different. Go in there with a plan to focus on one job and one job only,” she says.
Hemorrhoids 101: How Common Are They, and Do They Go Away on Their Own?
There are different kinds of hemorrhoids.
- Internal These hemorrhoids don’t usually cause symptoms, though they can bleed.
- External These are swollen veins that form underneath the skin around the anus. You can usually see or feel them. They cause symptoms like bleeding, pain, and itching.
- Prolapsed These are internal hemorrhoids that bulge outside the anus, leading to bleeding and pain.
- Thrombosed When a clot forms in an external hemorrhoid, it can cause a tender blue or purple lump outside the anus. The clot only affects the anus and doesn’t move to any other part of the body.
What if You Develop Hemorrhoids?
Hemorrhoids often improve on their own or with at-home treatments and changes to toilet habits.
- Adequate Fiber Eat high-fiber foods that soften stool and make bowel movements easier. Aim to get about 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories you take in.
- Topical Anti-Itch Treatments Over-the-counter ointments and creams contain hydrocortisone, witch hazel, or a numbing medicine.
- Sitz Baths Soak your anal area by sitting in a shallow bath of plain warm water for 10 to 15 minutes, two or three times a day.
- Pain Relievers NSAIDs such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), aspirin, and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) can relieve discomfort.
More severe hemorrhoids may require a minimally invasive procedure to cut off the blood supply or shrink the tissue. In certain cases, for instance a blood clot in an external hemorrhoid, surgical removal may be required.
Keep in mind that not all lumps are hemorrhoids. A healthcare provider can diagnose them during a physical exam and, if needed, with a simple tool called an anoscope.
