At the annual Digestive Diseases Week conference in San Diego this May, Dr. Trisha Satya Pasricha of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center presented the results of a small but striking survey: people who bring their smartphones with them to the toilet may face a 46% higher risk of developing hemorrhoids.

Yes, hemorrhoids — those painful, swollen veins in the lower rectum that affect millions — may have a new accomplice: your phone.

A New Kind of Bathroom Reader

The study surveyed 125 people undergoing colonoscopies. Each participant was asked about their bathroom habits, especially whether they used their phone while on the toilet.

The results were telling. Over 93% said they used their phones on the toilet at least once a week. Of that group, roughly half scrolled through news, 44% browsed social media, and about 30% were texting or emailing.

Some respondents admitted to lingering on the toilet for over six minutes per visit — far longer than the time most doctors recommend. Many believed their smartphone use was the reason.

Smartphones are incredibly engaging, and that engagement may be extending our toilet time. While the study is observational and cannot prove causation, it adds weight to growing concerns over how digital distractions are subtly reshaping our biology. About 40% of the participants had hemorrhoids. This rate was significantly higher among regular phone users.

Hemorrhoids 101

In the United States, hemorrhoids are responsible for nearly 4 million medical visits each year. And yet, this condition — as common as it is uncomfortable — remains surprisingly under-researched.

The last national survey on hemorrhoid prevalence was conducted in 1989. Since then, most data have come from fragmented reports and small studies like this one.

We do know that hemorrhoids aren’t abnormal in themselves. In fact, everyone has them. They’re vascular cushions that help maintain continence and ease the passage of stool. The trouble begins when these cushions swell or bleed, causing pain, itching, or a palpable bulge.

The leading theories on what causes them often focus on pressure — from straining during bowel movements, prolonged sitting, or chronic constipation. Sitting too long on the toilet, especially with a bent-forward posture, may place undue strain on the rectal veins.

Phones, researchers now suggest, may be the latest addition to this list of risk factors. Not because they are inherently harmful, but because they change our behavior. The more engaged we are on the toilet, the longer we stay.

Previous studies hinted at this link. One found that patients with hemorrhoids spent more time reading in the bathroom than those without. But that was back when people read magazines or newspapers. Now, smartphones offer infinite content — algorithms engineered to hold our attention, even on the ‘throne’.

What Can You Do?

Some experts advise that toilet time should be kept under 10 minutes. Others suggest an even tighter window: no more than 3.

There’s a growing chorus calling for a return to single-minded toileting. A 2024 research team went as far as to say, “It may be time to designate the washroom as a smartphone-free zone.”

After all, phones have crept into almost every corner of our lives. Bringing them into the bathroom may simply be one intrusion too far — for our minds and bodies.

For now, the message is simple: keep your phone out of the bathroom, and your bathroom visits short. As ScienceAlert wrote, “Going number two should be your number one priority – not scrolling on your phone.”

So next time nature calls, try not answering with your phone.