Your smartphone throne session could be swelling veins where you least want them, raising hemorrhoid risk by nearly half.
Story Snapshot
- 66% of colonoscopy patients admitted to smartphone use on the toilet, lingering over five minutes far more often than non-users.
- Smartphone users faced 46% higher odds of hemorrhoids after adjusting for age, sex, BMI, exercise, straining, and fiber intake.
- 43% of all participants showed hemorrhoids via blinded endoscopic exams.
- Users younger and less active, tying digital habits to sedentary lifestyles.
- First study specifically linking phone scrolling—news (54%), social media (44%)—to this painful condition.
Study Design and Key Findings
Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston surveyed 125 adults averaging 58 years old during screening colonoscopies. Sixty-six percent reported smartphone use on the toilet. These users spent significantly longer there: 37.3% exceeded five minutes per visit, compared to 7.1% of non-users. Endoscopists, blinded to habits, detected hemorrhoids in 43% overall. Multivariate analysis revealed smartphone users had 46% increased risk, with p=0.044 after controls.
Why Toilets Amplify the Risk
Unsupported sitting on toilet seats increases pressure on hemorrhoidal cushions, unlike chairs with back support. Smartphones extend time through passive engagement: 54.3% read news, 44.4% scrolled social media. Users averaged younger ages (55.4 vs 62.1 years) and lower exercise levels (p=0.017), linking screen habits to sedentariness. No differences emerged in IBS or constipation rates. Prolonged posture engorges anal veins, per authors.
Research Rigor and Limitations
Blinded endoscopists provided objective confirmation. Adjustments handled confounders like diet and straining. This marks the first multivariate tie of smartphone toilet use—not just sitting—to hemorrhoids. Cross-sectional design shows correlation, not causation; self-reported habits risk bias. Authors call for longitudinal studies. Findings hold as peer-reviewed in PLOS One, published September 3, 2025.
Stakeholders and Media Reach
BIDMC, Harvard Medical School, and Cleveland Clinic teams led the work. No commercial conflicts appeared. Principal investigators push clinicians to ask about toilet phone use. CBS Boston’s Dr. Mallika Marshall covered it May 5, 2025, stressing correlation with extended pressure. SciTechDaily echoed the habit-risk link. Open-access publishing aids dissemination.
Study finds phone use on the toilet may cause painful medical condition
Scrolling on your phone while sitting on the toilet might be doing more harm than you think. A new study found that people who use smartphones during bathroom visits had a 46% higher risk of hemorrhoids…
— The Something Guy 🇿🇦 (@thesomethingguy) March 8, 2026
Implications for Health and Habits
Short-term, awareness rises via media; doctors may add screening questions. Long-term, behavioral shifts could cut hemorrhoid rates, targeting tech sedentariness. Affected groups include GI patients and scrollers. Social benefits include stigma reduction through science. Preventive tools like toilet timers or apps may emerge.
Sources:
PLOS One article (DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0329983)
