Using Your Phone on the Toilet Linked to Higher Hemorrhoid Risk, Study Finds
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Using a smartphone while sitting on the toilet was associated with 46% higher odds of having hemorrhoids, according to a study published in PLOS One, even after researchers adjusted for factors including age, sex, BMI, physical activity, fiber intake and straining.
The study involved 125 adults undergoing screening colonoscopies at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. Researchers found that 66% of participants used smartphones while on the toilet.
Time appeared to be an important factor. About 37.3% of smartphone users spent more than five minutes on the toilet per visit, compared with just 7.1% of non-users.
Reading news was the most common phone activity, reported by 54.3% of users, followed by social media at 44.4%. Researchers suggested that scrolling may unintentionally keep people seated longer, potentially increasing pressure on hemorrhoidal tissue.
The researchers advised limiting smartphone use in the bathroom and keeping toilet time to under five minutes.
The study was cross-sectional, however, meaning it identified an association but cannot prove that smartphone use directly causes hemorrhoids. Further research is needed to establish whether the relationship is causal.
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Tahani Elghazaly5208 Posts
