Hemorrhoids occur when the veins in the rectum swell under too much pressure, causing discomfort, itching, bleeding, and sometimes severe pain. If left unchecked, it can progress to chronic irritation, repeated recurrences, and in severe cases, surgery is required. What many people overlook is how small daily habits drive this process.
Sitting on the toilet too long is one of the biggest causes, but it often goes unnoticed because it feels harmless. The posture itself places a constant downward force on the veins, and without pelvic support, the veins remain congested until the tissue breaks down.
This is where modern life makes things even worse. Smartphones have turned bathroom breaks into extended breaks, and for many people, they have become a basic companion. Just a few extra minutes of scrolling or seemingly reading the news is enough to amplify your daily tension.
Recognizing the connection is the first step to protecting yourself. Looking at how your daily choices shape even the most mundane bodily functions can help you see why new research is raising new concerns about hemorrhoids and how to prevent them.
Smartphones in the bathroom increase your risk of hemorrhoids
A study published in PLOS One examined whether using smartphones in the bathroom increases the risk of hemorrhoids.1 A team of researchers from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston surveyed adults undergoing colonoscopies about their bathroom behaviors, including phone use, diet, exercise and toileting habits. They then compared these self-reports with the colonoscopic findings, providing a very reliable basis for this investigation because the diagnosis of hemorrhoids was confirmed endoscopically.
• The population studied was middle-aged and older. A total of 125 people participated, with an average age ranging from mid-50s to early 60s. About two-thirds admitted to taking their phones into the bathroom, while a third did not. Despite all being in the same clinic for their colonoscopies, there were some important differences for smartphone users. They were younger on average and tended to exercise less each week compared to those who left their phones outside the bathroom.
• Phones increase bathroom time — The survey found that 37.3% of smartphone users spent more than 5 minutes per bathroom visit, compared to only 7.1% of non-users. This was one of the most striking contrasts in the study. What’s even more interesting is that only about a third of them admitted that their phone use caused them to sit longer, showing a clear disconnect between perception and action.
• The prevalence of hemorrhoids was particularly high among telephone users. Endoscopy results showed that 43% of all participants suffered from hemorrhoids. Further analysis of the data showed that smartphone use in the bathroom was an independent risk factor.
Even after controlling for age, gender, body mass index, tension, fiber intake, and exercise, smartphone use still increased the risk of hemorrhoids by 46%. This means that phone habits themselves, rather than lifestyle or eating habits, increased risk.
• The most common activities were reading the news and browsing social media. More than half of users said they scrolled the news, and 44.4% checked social media while in the bathroom. These activities are open-ended and have no natural stopping points, so you can easily slip away for a few minutes unnoticed. Unlike reading magazine articles or newspaper columns, the endless feeds on our smartphones increase our sitting time.
Time spent in the bathroom was more predictable than being nervous
Historically, straining during bowel movements has been considered a major risk factor for hemorrhoids. However, the study found no significant differences in tension between phone users and non-users.2 Instead, sedentary time emerged as a stronger predictor. This means that your posture and the constant pressure you exert while sitting on the toilet are more important than whether you are tense.
• If you sit for a long time, your blood vessels swell. Toilets are designed with open seats and do not support the pelvic floor. Sitting in this position for a long time puts constant pressure on the rectal veins. Over time, that pressure enlarges the cushion of blood vessels inside the rectum, causing hemorrhoids. In contrast, sitting in a chair distributes the pressure more evenly and provides support to the pelvis, so you won’t get the same effect in an office job.
• Smartphone users also had lower levels of physical activity. Bathroom phone users reported less weekly exercise than non-users. This may mean that heavy use of smartphones in daily life reflects broader sedentary patterns. Reduced circulation due to lack of movement slows healing and increases susceptibility to venous swelling, further compounding the effects of extended bathroom breaks.
• Age played a role in smartphone use in the bathroom — People approaching 55 were much more likely to use their smartphones in the bathroom than those in their 60s. These changes reflect generational differences in technology habits. Younger adults associate bathroom time with multitasking, while older adults are more likely to view it as an urgent necessity. This means that your current habits could set the stage for hemorrhoids much earlier in life, especially if you are in your 30s, 40s or 50s.
• The risk is preventable — Limiting bathroom phone use to less than 5 minutes significantly lowers your risk. The researchers also emphasized that awareness was half the battle, as many users did not realize that their devices were prolonging their bathroom time. By setting small goals, like keeping your phone out of the bathroom, you can take control of your health and reduce the behaviors that quietly put pressure on your workplace.
How to Break Habits That Cause Hemorrhoids
If you’ve ever experienced the tingling, itching, and bleeding caused by hemorrhoids, you know how disruptive they can be to your daily life. The good news is that this condition is not random. This is caused by the habit of putting too much pressure on the rectal veins. This means you have real control here. The quickest way to feel better and prevent a recurrence is to stop doing the things that cause your veins to swell in the first place. Here are five steps to help:
1. Leave your phone outside the bathroom — If you find yourself scrolling the news or social media while sitting on the toilet, it’s time to kick the habit. The longer you sit, the more pressure there is on your veins. Keep travel times short, under 5 minutes. Consider it a personal challenge. How quickly and comfortably can you get it done without interruption?
2. Change your position for better elimination — Sitting with your knees under your hips is not designed to completely empty your body. This causes the rectum to become twisted and strained. Instead, mimic a squat. Place your feet on a chair, lean forward with your elbows on your knees, or cross one leg over the other. These small changes straighten the colon, making stool easier to move and reducing pain and swelling.
3. Eat and drink to keep your stools soft — If you have a sensitive gut, skip high-fiber grains for now. Focus on foods that are easy to digest, such as fruits and white rice. These foods nourish intestinal bacteria and restore energy production within cells, strengthening the intestinal lining and facilitating excretion.
As your gut becomes healthier, gradually eat more foods rich in fiber. Also, drink water throughout the day. Aim for enough to make your urine light yellow. These simple steps keep your stool soft and prevent straining.
4. Move your body every day — If you lead a sedentary lifestyle, blood flow slows and healing takes longer. Walking is the simplest solution. Daily walking promotes blood circulation in the pelvic area, helps regulate digestion, and reduces pressure that builds up when you sit for too long. Yoga is another option that involves postures that open the hips and relieve rectal pressure. During a hemorrhoid flare-up, avoid cycling or heavy weight lifting as these put pressure directly on the rectal area.
5. Think of bathroom time as a quick reset rather than a break. If you think of the bathroom as a place to read or check messages, it’s time to change that. The bathroom is not a lounge. Use it strictly for elimination, then get up and continue with your day. To reinforce this, try setting a timer or trying to keep every bathroom visit to less than five minutes. Consistency in this practice prevents the veins from swelling again.
Frequently asked questions about using smartphones in the bathroom
cue: Why does using your smartphone in the bathroom increase your risk of hemorrhoids?
no way: Using your phone can cause you to sit longer than necessary. Toilet seats do not support the pelvis, so sitting for long periods of time puts pressure on the rectal veins. Over time, this pressure causes the veins to swell and cause hemorrhoids.
cue: How long do people sit on their phones in the bathroom?
no way: The study found that 37.3% of smartphone users sat for more than five minutes per visit, compared to only 7.1% of non-users. The added time is enough to cause significant strain that increases the risk of hemorrhoids.
cue: Is being tense or sitting more important in causing hemorrhoids?
no way: Studies have shown that sitting time is a stronger predictor than being nervous. Even if people weren’t nervous, just sitting for long periods of time with a phone in hand increased the risk by 46%.
cue: What daily habits can help reduce hemorrhoid recurrence?
no way: The five key steps include leaving your phone outside the bathroom, imitating a squatting position for easier bowel movements, eating healthy foods like fruit and white rice, staying hydrated, and moving your body through daily walking or yoga.
cue: Can I already prevent hemorrhoids by using my cell phone in the bathroom?
no way: yes. Limiting bathroom breaks to less than 5 minutes, improving your posture, improving your diet, and staying active can all reduce pressure on your veins. Even small changes, like setting a timer or treating bathroom breaks as quick resets instead of breaks, make a big difference.
