Something new started happening between me and my mother a few years ago, a sort of unplanned recurrence whereupon I find her doubled over in pain on the toilet and she looks me, her only child, squarely in the eye and says “It’s the hemorrhoids; I didn’t have any until I was pregnant.” It’s been a fun development in our relationship. But what’s undeniably not fun are hemorrhoids, defined by the Mayo Clinic as “swollen veins in the anus and lower rectum,” that when enlarged from pressure can lead to itchiness, pain, or bleeding. Ouch. But a new study has come out with results pointing towards a culprit, and the good news is that the instigator can be easily cut out of bathroom visits: our phones! Yes, scientists are saying that smartphones specifically increase the chance of hemorrhoids. No, it’s not a direct contact situation caused from an iOS update. It’s the fact that we tend to waste spend ridiculous extended amounts of time on our phones, and the act of prolonging our stay on the toilet prompts the ‘rrhoids to rage.

People lose track of time in the bathroom when they have their phones, said Dr. Trisha Pasricha, the study’s senior author, a gastroenterologist and director of the Gut-Brain Research Institute at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

…The study invited 125 adults undergoing a screening colonoscopy to complete a survey on their toilet habits, including whether they scroll online in the bathroom. The survey also asked questions about straining, fiber intake and exercise routines — additional factors involved in hemorrhoid risk. Confirmation of hemorrhoids was detected by endoscopy.

Sixty-six percent of survey respondents reported regularly using their smartphones on the toilet. Those who did spent significantly more time on the loo than people who left their smartphones outside the bathroom. About 54% of respondents reported using their phones to read news, while about 44% spent their time on social media.

How much did mindless scrolling on the toilet affect hemorrhoid risk? Researchers found regular smartphone use on the toilet was associated with a 46% greater risk of having hemorrhoids. About 37% of smartphone users spend over five minutes on the toilet compared with 7% of non-smartphone users.

Hemorrhoids are often associated with prolonged sitting; however, the risk is higher when sitting for too long on a toilet. The open toilet seat compresses the rectal area, keeping your bottom in a lower position than if you were sitting on a chair. Over time, the increased pressure from the toilet seat can cause blood to pool in the rectum.

“When you’re sitting on an open toilet bowl, you have no pelvic floor support,” Pasricha said.

Along with spending more time sitting, using a smartphone on the toilet may increase the risk of hemorrhoids due to poor posture.

Dr. Hima Ghanta, a colorectal surgeon at Holy Name Medical Center in New Jersey who was not involved in the study, said people tend to hunch when looking down at their phones, which isn’t ideal for excretion because the rectum and anus curve from the colon. The squatted position is a better option for a smooth bowel movement.

“People way back who had to squat did not tend to have as many issues, but because we changed the angle we’re evacuating and sitting longer, these are exacerbating factors for hemorrhoids,” Ghanta said.

[From CNN]

I’m no accredited scientist. But I can read, and from what I just read it sounds like the bigger problem is toilets themselves! It’s the crappy posture and lack of pelvic floor support while sitting on the can that’s putting pressure on the hemorrhoids, yes? Just think — you could stay scrolling on your phone as long as you want if we went back to squatting! Problem solved! The article also quoted other doctors, not related to the study, who said there’s been a noticeable increase in younger patients being diagnosed with hemorrhoids, which they suspect is linked to phone usage. They also said that three to five minutes is the ideal length of time to sit on the throne, with the upper lid being 10 minutes max. I’m just so happy that I’m finally getting a piece of health advice that I’ll have no trouble following! (I can’t tell you how rarely this happens.) Plus I feel better-equipped to respond to my mother the next time she tries to lay the blame of her hemorrhoids at my feet. Really, this is such a huge load off!

photos credit: Kaboompics.com and RDNE Stock project