Using the phone while you poop greatly raises hemorrhoid risk, new study says

There’s nothing like shutting the bathroom door, maybe even locking it and hiding away from one’s family, even just for a few minutes.

The toilet has long been a sanctuary to catch up on some light reading and, for the harried parent, a spot for some rare “me time.” But the amount of toilet time has become a more pressing medical issue as people shift from reading physical books and magazines to endlessly scrolling on their smartphones.

There are consequences to sitting longer than we used to on the toilet: People are reporting a higher rate of hemorrhoids when they bring their smartphones to the bathroom, according to a new study in PLOS One.

Hemorrhoids are groups of veins in the rectum and outside the anus that can swell and enlarge due to increased pressure, which can create itchi