The smartphone has become an extension of an individual in the modern world.
Most of us have the instinct to check our phones whether we are waiting in a queue, using a public transportation or before we sleep. And this habit spills over to the bathroom to a shocking number of people. Although scrolling your phone might seem an innocent pastime, current studies indicate that it might have an unpleasant side effect: an increased risk of hemorrhoids to a considerable extent.
What the Research Says
In a study published recently in PLOS One, the behaviors of 125 adults during bathroom visits during a colonoscopy were studied at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. The findings were shocking: almost two out of three confessed to scrolling when they sat on the toilet. Of them, researchers discovered that phone users were prone to get hemorrhoid 46 times more than non-users.
The reason is easy to understand and worrying. Using a phone in the bathroom promotes longer bathroom time and this time can be quite long, exceeding five minutes. Prolonged sitting creates pressure in the rectal veins which are the main cause of hemorrhoid formation. Add to that the usual forward bending position most people take on when scrolling, and the danger is even more serious.
Why Sitting Too Long Matters
Family doctor, Dr. Michael J. Allen of the Houston Methodist Clear Lake, described it in a simplistic analogy: Blood is more likely to pool and that swelling increases the risk of hemorrhoids. Imagine that as you hose you are going to kink it; the bigger the length of the kink the more backpressure you have created.
Hemorrhoids are enlarged veins in the lower rectum or anus and anything that elevates the pressure in the lower part can cause or aggravate hemorrhoids. Other risk factors are in addition to toilet phone use and are:
- Constipation and straining
- Pregnancy
- Chronic diarrhea
- Low-fiber diets
- Spending long periods of time at desks or travelling.
Basically, hemorrhoids can be caused by any lifestyle that causes blood to stagnate in the rectal veins.
Symptoms You Can’t Afford To Ice
Although a large number of individuals ignore the hemorrhoids as a minor inconvenience, it is worth noting the symptoms at an early stage. Common signs include:
- Itch or irritation of the anus.
- Post bowel movement swelling or pain.
- The bright red blood on the toilet paper or in the toilet bowl.
- A little bump or sore around the anus.
Most hemorrhoids are not life threatening but there have been some red flags that need to be addressed medically. The excessive or chronic bleeding, acute pains, longer than a week of the symptoms, or dark tarry bowels may be the signs of a more severe complication. When this happens, it is important to consult a doctor as soon as possible.
Getting out of the Toilet Phone Habit
Placing your phone outside the bathroom can seem like a simple solution, but to most, it is not so easy to quit the habit. In case it is impossible to get rid of the phone, it is still possible to reduce the risk.
One of the doctors, Dr. Snieguole Geige, who works at It’s Me and You Clinic, proposed something simple; keep your feet on a small footstool when sitting on the toilet. This raises your achilles heel a little, and puts your body in a more favorable position to travel without straining, she explained. The pose replicates a more natural squatting posture, which lowers rectal pressure.
Also, professionals advise to establish some mental time frame in the bathroom. You should aim at spending a few minutes to empty the bowel instead of using the toilet like a reading chair.
Different Lifestyle Changes
Preventing hemorrhoid is not all about the bathroom habits but it is also about the general lifestyle. Professionals point out three existing strategies:
Eat More Fiber
High fibre diet gels the stools making it easier to pass reducing straining. Allen suggests trying to have 25–30 grams of fiber/day, which are found in fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains.
Stay Hydrated
Fiber is better combined with water. Fiber may in fact make constipation worse without the presence of sufficient fluids. One of the ways to do it is to consume a glass of water with each meal.
Move More
Exercise helps in healthy bowel movements and digestion. Even such simple activity as walking or stretching can eliminate the risk of constipation. In contrast, sitting down in the long term of it, be it on the job, on the road or on the latrine, can work in the other direction.
Use Good Bathroom Manners
Go when you want to go, do not strain unnecessarily, and do not feel tempted to hang around using your phone. Such minor modifications could greatly minimize rectal pressure as well as prevent hemorrhoids.
Medical Remedies of Hemorrhoids
Despite precautionary measures, hemorrhoids are still prevalent. The positive aspect is that the majority of the cases are mild and are responsive to the easy remedies.
Home treatments: OTC creams, suppositories, sitz baths and cold compresses can be effective. Discomfort may also be alleviated by oral pain killers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
Medical treatments: Medical procedures like rubber band ligation, sclerotherapy, or surgical excision can be needed in case the symptoms persist and the bleeding is severe. These treatments are typically used in the severe or recurring cases.
Allen stressed that the surgery is uncommon. He said that most people can treat hemorrhoids at home with the help of the correct combination of lifestyle modification and over-the-counter treatment.
Conclusion
It might be easy to think that scrolling your phone is a harmless and easy activity to do when you are multitasking, yet in the bathroom, this behavior could be raising your risk of hemorrhoids. Sedentary lifestyle, stress, and bad posture are also contributory factors to the pressure of the rectal veins, and your phone is usually the silent suspect as to why you spend more time than you need to, sitting in one place.
The positive thing is that it is very simple to prevent. You can greatly lower your risk by limiting the time you spend on the phone in the bathroom, eating more fiber and plenty of water and being active. And in case hemorrhoids do transpire, early detection and straightforward remedies normally help.
Ultimately, the message is clear; in your interest to keep your health, leave your phone outside the bathroom door. There is no reason you should spend more time than necessary in the bathroom due to the unnecessary discomfort that can be avoided by spending a few minutes of digital disconnection.