That long toilet visits can increase the risk of hemorrhoids is known since before. It is because of the pressure on the anus and the vessels that are there.
Now, researchers in the USA have looked at whether people who scroll on their phone during toilet visits have an increased risk of hemorrhoids.
In the study, which is published in Plos One, 125 people who, in connection with an endoscopy examination, were asked to answer a questionnaire about how often they scrolled when they sat on the toilet. Of all participants, almost 70 percent stated that they used their phones on the toilet.
After the researchers took into account physical activity, age, and diet - factors that can affect the risk of hemorrhoids - they saw that scrolling toilet visitors had a 46 percent higher risk of getting hemorrhoids than non-scrollers.
On average, those who sat with their phone spent more time on the toilet than others. 37 percent of the toilet scrollers sat there for more than five minutes compared to 7 percent of those who did not have their phone in their hand.
According to the researchers, it is precisely the longer time that the scrollers sit on the toilet that is behind the increased risk.
"It can be a good tip to leave the phone outside the bathroom and try not to sit there for more than a few minutes.... It can be very easy to lose track of time when you scroll and the one who is distracted by their smartphone can increase the risk of hemorrhoids", says Trisha Pasricha, one of the authors of the study in a press comment.
