The modern bathroom, once a simple utility, has in many homes transformed into a personal sanctuary – a fleeting escape from the demands of daily life, particularly for harried parents seeking a few minutes of “me time.” What was once a place for quiet reflection or catching up on a physical book or magazine has, with the advent of the smartphone, evolved into an arena for endless scrolling, social media engagement, and even tackling emails. This increasingly common behavior, however, comes with a hidden health cost that many are only just beginning to understand.
A new and significant study, published in PLOS One, is shedding light on this evolving habit, drawing a clear line between prolonged smartphone use on the toilet and a significantly increased risk of hemorrhoids. These often-painful and uncomfortable conditions, which affect millions each year, are now being linked to the very devices we use for distraction. It’s a wake-up call for anyone who routinely takes their phone into this most private of spaces.
This in-depth look will explore the compelling findings of this research, detailing exactly how our digital habits in the bathroom are contributing to a growing public health concern. We’ll delve into what hemorrhoids are, the specific mechanisms by which smartphones increase risk, and what this means for your well-being, providing evidence-based insights to help you make informed choices about your bathroom routine.
1. **The Ubiquitous Bathroom Companion: Your Smartphone and Toilet Time**: For many, the smartphone has become an inseparable extension of daily life, accompanying us to almost every corner of our routines – including the bathroom. The habit of shutting the bathroom door, maybe even locking it, and indulging in a few minutes of digital escape is now incredibly widespread. This shift from traditional reading materials to the endless scroll of a smartphone has subtly, yet profoundly, changed the dynamics of our toilet habits.
The context describes the toilet as having “long been a sanctuary to catch up on some light reading and, for the harried parent, a spot for some rare “me time.”” However, the seamless nature of digital content, designed to capture and hold our attention, means these few minutes often stretch into much longer periods. This seemingly harmless act of leisure, driven by the engaging nature of apps and social media, is now under scrutiny for its potential health repercussions.
Indeed, the “entire business model of these social media apps is to distract us, make us lose track of time and addict us to the algorithm,” as stated by Dr. Trisha Pasricha, the study’s senior author. This inherent design of smartphones to maximize engagement means that what begins as a short break can easily spiral into extended, unconscious sitting, turning a personal sanctuary into a potential health hazard.
2. **Unpacking Hemorrhoids: More Than Just a Nuisance**: Hemorrhoids are among the most frequent gastrointestinal complaints in the United States, sending millions of people to clinics and emergency rooms each year and costing the health system hundreds of millions of dollars. They are far more than just a minor inconvenience; they can significantly impact an individual’s quality of life, causing discomfort, pain, itching, and bleeding. Understanding what hemorrhoids truly are is the first step in appreciating the significance of this new research.
Essentially, hemorrhoids are groups of veins in the rectum and outside the anus that can swell and enlarge due to increased pressure. The context elaborates that we all possess “hemorrhoid cushions — vascular cushions made of blood vessels, connective tissue, and smooth muscle — right at the end of our GI tract.” These are a normal, functional part of our anatomy, serving a vital purpose. They “help provide a barrier between all of the stool and gas that’s in your body and the outside world,” and can “kind of tell the difference between solid, gas, liquid, and help detect when it’s safe to pass gas but not have a whole bowel movement in public.”
It is only “when they get engorged that we notice them and that that’s when they become symptomatic and they’re called hemorrhoids.” When these vascular cushions become swollen, they can manifest as internal hemorrhoids, which often bleed and cause discomfort, or external hemorrhoids, which are more likely to cause itching and a sensation of a bump. The irritation and difficulty in cleaning can then “cause this vicious cycle of like more discomfort, more irritation,” making them increasingly problematic.
From a public health perspective, hemorrhoids represent a considerable burden. They are “the third most common reason people see their doctors,” and more patients seek medical care for hemorrhoids than for colon cancer, diverticular disease, irritable bowel syndrome, or inflammatory bowel disease. Despite their prevalence and economic impact, the precise causes of hemorrhoids have historically remained “poorly defined,” making new research like the PLOS One study particularly crucial.
3. **The Landmark Study: Connecting Smartphones to Hemorrhoid Risk**: The scientific community has long suspected a link between prolonged toilet time and hemorrhoids, with anecdotal observations common among medical professionals. However, concrete, updated evidence has been sparse. This is where the new study, published in PLOS One in 2025 by Ramprasad et al., makes a groundbreaking contribution, providing the first multivariate analysis linking smartphone use with hemorrhoids.
Inspired by an older study from 1989 in The Lancet that found an association between reading newspapers on the toilet and hemorrhoids, Dr. Trisha Pasricha, a gastroenterologist and director of the Gut-Brain Research Institute at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, recognized the need to update this literature for the modern era. As she noted, “I don’t think anyone’s reading the newspaper, but we know everybody’s on their phones in the bathroom. So I thought we needed to update this literature for the modern TikTok era.”
The study’s methodology was designed to investigate this contemporary behavior. It invited “125 adults undergoing a screening colonoscopy to complete a survey on their toilet habits, including whether they scroll online in the bathroom.” Participants also provided information on “straining, fiber intake and exercise routines — additional factors involved in hemorrhoid risk.” Crucially, “Confirmation of hemorrhoids was detected by endoscopy,” ensuring objective medical assessment of the condition.
This rigorous approach allowed researchers to collect comprehensive data, comparing self-reported smartphone use with direct medical findings. The results offer compelling insights into how our pervasive digital habits are influencing our physical health, moving beyond mere suspicion to provide solid, evidence-based conclusions that are highly relevant to public health conversations today.
4. **The Widespread Habit: Two-Thirds Are Scrolling on the Loo**: The ubiquity of smartphone use in the bathroom is not just a casual observation; it’s a statistically significant reality. The study revealed that “Sixty-six percent of survey respondents reported regularly using their smartphones on the toilet.” This figure, representing two-thirds of the adult participants in the study, underscores just how deeply integrated this habit has become into daily routines across the population.
Furthermore, the research highlighted that this behavior is particularly prevalent among younger demographics. While the study itself involved adults 45 years and older, Pasricha emphasized that “the results can also apply to younger people, as they are the most likely to always carry their phones with them.” This suggests that for younger individuals, the situation could be even more pronounced, potentially leading to a higher incidence of hemorrhoids in this group.
Indeed, other medical professionals are already observing this trend in clinical practice. Dr. Sandhya Shukla, a gastroenterologist at Atlantic Coast Gastroenterology Associates, noted that she is “seeing younger patients diagnosed with hemorrhoid issues.” While other factors like low fiber intake and obesity contribute, she stated that “scrolling mindlessly on the toilet is one of the major contributors.” This widespread adoption of bathroom smartphone use therefore presents a significant and growing public health challenge.
5. **The Time Trap: How Phones Make Us Linger Longer**: One of the most critical findings of the study is the direct link between smartphone use and the duration of time spent on the toilet. It’s not just that people are bringing their phones into the bathroom; it’s that the phones actively prolong their stay, transforming what should be a brief, functional visit into an extended period of passive sitting. The data unequivocally supports this observation, revealing a stark contrast between smartphone users and non-users.
Specifically, “Those who did spent significantly more time on the loo than people who left their smartphones outside the bathroom.” The numbers are compelling: “About 37% of smartphone users spend over five minutes on the toilet compared with 7% of non-smartphone users.” This five-fold increase in prolonged toilet sitting among smartphone users is a key mechanism driving the heightened risk of hemorrhoids, as extended pressure in the rectal area is a known contributing factor.
The addictive nature of smartphone applications plays a substantial role in this time distortion. As Dr. Pasricha eloquently put it, “The entire business model of these social media apps is to distract us, make us lose track of time and addict us to the algorithm.” This inherent design means that individuals are often unaware of just how much time is slipping away while they are engrossed in their devices. The immersive experience of scrolling makes minutes feel like moments, leading to unintended and unhealthy durations on the toilet.
This phenomenon of losing track of time is a crucial insight from the study. Dr. Pasricha noted, “I think what’s happening is that time sort of slows down when you’re scrolling, and people don’t realize just how much longer they’re sitting there. Half admit it, but the other half are still doing it without making the connection.” This disconnect between perceived and actual toilet time highlights the subtle yet powerful influence smartphones exert over our bathroom habits, setting the stage for increased health risks without conscious awareness.
6. **Quantifying the Risk: A 46% Increase in Hemorrhoids**: The core revelation of the PLOS One study is the quantifiable increase in hemorrhoid risk directly associated with smartphone use on the toilet. After meticulously analyzing the data and controlling for various other potential contributing factors, researchers found a significant statistical link. “Researchers found regular smartphone use on the toilet was associated with a 46% greater risk of having hemorrhoids.” This is a substantial finding that provides concrete, evidence-based support for what had previously been largely anecdotal observations among medical professionals.
This elevated risk of 46% was not merely a raw correlation. The study employed a “multivariate logistic regression,” which means the association was maintained “after adjusting for age, sex, BMI, exercise activity, straining and fiber intake.” This statistical rigor strengthens the conclusion, indicating that smartphone use on the toilet is an independent risk factor for hemorrhoids, even when other common causes are taken into account. It suggests that the act of toilet scrolling itself, rather than simply being a marker for other unhealthy behaviors, directly contributes to the development of the condition.
The implications of this finding are significant for public health. Given that hemorrhoids are already a prevalent issue, accounting for “millions of outpatient visits and substantial healthcare costs,” as noted by Dr. Ernesto Gonzaga, a gastroenterologist not involved in the study, this newly identified risk factor could exacerbate the problem. The study’s results “raise a broader public health concern about a growing burden of disease, potentially extending into younger populations as smartphone use” continues to rise, underscoring the urgent need for greater awareness and preventative measures.
7. **The Mechanics of Risk: Why Prolonged Toilet Sitting Harms**: The increased risk of hemorrhoids due to smartphone use on the toilet is not merely a statistical correlation; it is rooted in identifiable physiological mechanisms. While hemorrhoids are generally associated with prolonged sitting, the risk is particularly heightened when that sitting occurs on a toilet. The design of a standard toilet seat, combined with the extended time spent there while distracted by a smartphone, creates an environment conducive to hemorrhoid development.
One critical factor is the lack of pelvic floor support that a typical toilet seat provides. As Dr. Pasricha explained, “When you’re sitting on an open toilet bowl, you have no pelvic floor support.” Unlike sitting on a chair or couch, where the buttocks and thighs are fully supported, the open design of a toilet seat allows the rectal area to hang lower, creating a unique pressure dynamic. This prolonged, unsupported position can lead to blood pooling in the rectum, increasing pressure on the delicate hemorrhoidal cushions.
Furthermore, posture plays a role. Dr. Hima Ghanta, a colorectal surgeon, noted that “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.” A hunched posture can impede the natural, smooth movement of bowel contents, potentially increasing the effort required for defecation. In contrast, “the squatted position is a better option for a smooth bowel movement,” as historically, “people way back who had to squat did not tend to have as many issues.” This highlights how modern toilet habits, exacerbated by phone use, diverge from physiologically optimal positions.
It’s important to clarify that the study suggests the primary issue is the duration of sitting, not necessarily straining. Dr. Pasricha stated, “The study results suggest the issue is most likely the time spent sitting on the toilet rather than straining.” The research found no significant difference in straining between smartphone users and non-users, nor were smartphone users more constipated. This indicates that the passive engagement with a phone, leading to extended sitting, is the key driver. Her hypothesis is that “it’s passive smartphone use that causes these hemorrhoidal cushions to become engorged and bulge, and that’s what leads to hemorrhoids.”
Therefore, the combination of prolonged, unsupported sitting on an open toilet seat, potentially compounded by poor posture while engrossed in a device, creates an ideal scenario for the engorgement and development of hemorrhoids. It’s a cascade of mechanical and behavioral factors that underscores the importance of mindful toilet habits in the digital age.
8. **Lifestyle Factors: The Sedentary Connection**: The implications of smartphone use on the toilet extend beyond the bathroom door, intertwining with broader lifestyle patterns. The study revealed a notable connection between toilet scrolling and overall physical activity levels, indicating that individuals who regularly used their phones on the toilet tended to lead more sedentary lives. This observation suggests that the habit of prolonged digital engagement might be a symptom of, or contribute to, a less active lifestyle in general.
Specifically, researchers found that smartphone users on the toilet engaged in “significantly less exercise per week than non-smartphone users.” This correlation is not just a coincidence; it points to a potential cycle where increased interaction with technology, which is often highly stimulating, “steals time away from activities that may be more physically active.” Dr. Ernesto Gonzaga, a gastroenterologist not involved in the study, underscored this, noting that phone users’ “broader lifestyle patterns could also contribute to their risk of hemorrhoids.”
The hypothesis put forward by researchers is that smartphone use “engenders a habit of frequent engagement that these individuals reinforce while on the toilet.” This means that the distracting and time-consuming nature of apps and social media not only prolongs bathroom visits but also reflects a wider tendency towards sedentary behaviors. Understanding this broader context is crucial for addressing hemorrhoid risk, as it highlights the need for a more holistic approach to health that encourages greater physical activity and reduces overall screen time.
9. **Age Demographics: Younger Generations at Heightened Risk**: While the recent PLOS One study focused on adults aged 45 and older, its findings carry significant implications for younger demographics, who are arguably even more susceptible to the habit of toilet scrolling. Dr. Trisha Pasricha, the study’s senior author, explicitly stated that “the results can also apply to younger people, as they are the most likely to always carry their phones with them.” This suggests that the prevalence of bathroom smartphone use and the associated health risks could be even more pronounced in younger individuals..
Indeed, other medical professionals are already witnessing this trend in their clinical practice. Dr. Sandhya Shukla, a gastroenterologist, shared that she is “seeing younger patients diagnosed with hemorrhoid issues.” While acknowledging other contributing factors like low fiber intake and obesity, Dr. Shukla firmly believes that “scrolling mindlessly on the toilet is one of the major contributors” to this rise in diagnoses among younger patients.
The study itself noted that “younger age adults were more likely to use smartphones on the toilet than older adults,” a finding that points to evolving behaviors and their potential long-term health consequences. As smartphone use continues its upward trajectory, particularly among youth, the study’s results “raise a broader public health concern about a growing burden of disease, potentially extending into younger populations,” underscoring an urgent need for awareness and preventative education tailored to this demographic.
10. **The Gender Divide in Toilet Habits**: Interestingly, the study also touched upon potential social dynamics, specifically sex differences, that might influence bathroom habits. While the research team acknowledged they were “underpowered to really prove that statistically,” there was a discernible “trend that men are spending more time on the toilet.” Dr. Pasricha noted, with a touch of humor, that this finding “surprised absolutely nobody in our group,” hinting at a commonly observed, albeit anecdotally understood, behavioral pattern.
Beyond the duration of toilet time, there are also broader gender differences in how individuals approach gastrointestinal (GI) health concerns. “Women are more likely to get help” for GI issues and generally “more likely to seek treatment,” according to Dr. Pasricha. This contrasts with men, who sometimes exhibit a reluctance to engage with healthcare providers about these “embarrassing” topics.
This reluctance often means that men only seek help when prompted by others, such as their partners. Dr. Pasricha vividly described situations where “men who come in having been dragged in by their wives and they’re like, ‘I actually don’t have a problem.’ And their wives say, ‘You spend 40 minutes in the bathroom every morning. There’s a problem.’” This highlights how external perspective can be vital, sometimes being the only way for individuals to “realize what you are experiencing is not normal” and seek necessary medical attention.
11. **Normalizing the “Embarrassing” Conversations**: A crucial takeaway from the ongoing discussion about gut health, especially concerning conditions like hemorrhoids, is the vital importance of normalizing conversations around these often-considered “embarrassing” topics. Dr. Trisha Pasricha, a gastroenterologist, shared her personal motivation for entering the field: “I went into gastroenterology because I saw as a med student and early on in my life that you can have almost everything you want in life, but if you can’t eat the food you love and poop it out comfortably, you don’t have a quality of life.” This sentiment underscores how fundamental digestive health is to overall well-being.
The reluctance to discuss bowel movements, discomfort, or symptoms openly can create significant barriers to seeking timely medical help. “If we can’t bring ourselves to even talk about it, we can’t get help and physicians can’t help our patients,” Pasricha emphasized. This silence perpetuates a cycle where preventable or manageable conditions worsen due to delayed intervention, leading to greater discomfort and potential complications.
Pasricha is passionate about making these conversations a normal part of healthcare and everyday life. “It’s a big passion of mine to try to normalize these conversations. The gut is just like any other part of your body and I think we need to treat it with respect and love,” she stated. By fostering an environment where individuals feel comfortable discussing their gut health, we can empower more people to understand their bodies, recognize symptoms, and seek the care they need, ultimately improving public health outcomes and quality of life.
The era of the smartphone has undeniably reshaped our daily habits, extending even into the most private corners of our lives. This groundbreaking research from PLOS One serves as a crucial wake-up call, urging us to reconsider our relationship with our devices, particularly in the bathroom. By understanding the direct links between prolonged toilet scrolling and increased hemorrhoid risk, and by embracing actionable strategies rooted in mindful habits and holistic health, we can safeguard our well-being in this increasingly digital world. It’s time to put down the phone, respect our bodies’ natural processes, and ensure that our “me time” on the toilet doesn’t come at the cost of our health.
