Why Smartphone Use on the Toilet Increases Hemorrhoid Risk

Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health

Briana Mercola

Alternative Health, Health & Fitness

4.6 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 11 October 2025

⏱️ 6 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Hemorrhoids affect millions of Americans each year, and sitting too long on the toilet is among the hidden triggers
Using a smartphone in the bathroom raises hemorrhoid risk by 46% because it keeps you seated longer without pelvic support
People who use their phones are far more likely to sit over five minutes per trip, even though many don't realize their habit is adding time
Younger adults are the most frequent toilet phone users, meaning their risk of hemorrhoids builds earlier in life
Simple changes — like leaving your phone outside the bathroom, adjusting toilet sitting positions, staying hydrated, and walking daily — help prevent painful flare-ups

Transcript

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0:00.0	Are you unknowingly raising your haemorrhoid risk every time you bring your phone into the bathroom,
0:05.0	staying seated just a few minutes longer than you need to?
0:08.0	Welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom.
0:11.0	Stay informed with quick, easy-to-listen summaries of our latest articles, perfect for when you're on the go.
0:17.0	No reading required. Subscribe for free at Mercola.com for the latest health insights.
0:21.6	Hello and welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom. I'm Ethan Foster, and today we're looking at why smartphone time on the toilet quietly stacks pressure on your rectal veins and how small changes protect you from painful flare-ups.
0:36.6	I'm Ilarah Sky.
0:38.5	Hemeroids affect millions every year.
0:41.0	Yet many people overlook a key driver, how long you sit on the toilet.
0:45.9	That posture removes pelvic support, increases downward pressure, and keeps veins engorged.
0:52.2	When you add a smartphone, those extra minutes become routine,
0:55.0	often without realizing it, pushing you toward irritation, bleeding, and recurring pain.
1:01.0	A recent study in PLOS1 surveyed adults undergoing colonoscopy and match their self-reported
1:08.0	habits with endoscopic findings. The group included 125 people, mostly in their mid-reported habits with endoscopic findings.
1:16.3	The group included 125 people, mostly in their mid-50s to early 60s.
1:19.1	The design mattered because hemorrhoids weren't guessed at.
1:23.8	They were confirmed during the procedure, giving the conclusions a strong clinical footing.
1:27.3	Two-thirds of participants admitted to bringing a phone into the bathroom. Those who did
1:28.7	were younger on average and reported less weekly exercise than people who left their phones outside.
1:34.5	Even in a single clinic population, that difference in activity stood out and framed how daily
1:40.3	habits might influence vain health. Time was the sharp divider. Among phone users, 37.3% sat longer than five minutes per visit.
1:51.0	Only 7.1% of non-users did the same. Many phone users didn't recognize that the device was adding time,
	...

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