- Using a smartphone on the toilet has been linked with a higher risk of haemorrhoids in a small study.
- Researchers found that people who used their phones during bathroom visits were more likely to spend longer sitting on the toilet.
- The study does not prove phones are the cause, but it does back up the fairly obvious advice to leave the scrolling for later.
Taking your phone to the toilet may not be as harmless as it sounds.
A new study suggests it could be linked to a higher risk of haemorrhoids.
Researchers looked at 125 adults who were undergoing screening colonoscopies.
Participants completed a survey about their lifestyle habits and toilet behaviour.
Doctors then assessed whether they had haemorrhoids.
Around two thirds of the participants said they used a smartphone while sitting on the toilet.
These participants were generally younger than those who did not.
After adjusting for factors such as age, exercise and fibre intake, the researchers found a difference.
People who used smartphones on the toilet had a 46% higher risk of haemorrhoids than those who did not.
The researchers also found a likely explanation.
Phone users tended to spend longer on the toilet.
Around 37% of phone users said they spent more than five minutes there during a single visit.
Among non-users, that figure was just 7.1%.
When people did use their phones, they were usually reading news or browsing social media.
The concern is that sitting for longer may increase pressure on tissues in the anal region.
Over time, that could contribute to haemorrhoids.
Interestingly, the study did not find a clear link between straining and haemorrhoid risk.
- Regular phone support helps weight loss patients stay on track
- Excessive smartphone use higher among night owls feeling lonely and anxious
- Two toilet symptoms of bile duct cancer revealed
That goes against some earlier assumptions, although this was a small study and the findings should be interpreted with caution.
It is also worth saying that this was an observational study.
It shows an association, not proof that phone use directly causes haemorrhoids.
Even so, the advice is hardly difficult.
If you are sitting there longer because your attention is on your screen rather than the bowel movement itself, that is probably not helping.
For most people, leaving the phone outside the bathroom is a simple change with no downside.
Journal reference: Ramprasad C, Wu C, Chang J, et al. Smartphone use on the toilet and the risk of hemorrhoids. PLOS One. 2025.
