Can Using Your Phone on the Toilet Cause Hemorrhoids?
Personally Researched | Last Updated: August 2026 | Based on Clinical Studies & Personal Experience.
Scrolling through the news or social media while sitting on the toilet has become second nature for a lot of people — but it turns out that habit might be doing more than just passing the time.
A 2025 study has put actual numbers behind what doctors long suspected: bringing your phone into the bathroom is linked to a meaningfully higher risk of hemorrhoids.
This article breaks down what the research found, why phone use on the toilet may contribute to hemorrhoids, and how to protect yourself without giving up your bathroom reading habit entirely.
What the Research Actually Found
A study published in the journal PLOS One in September 2025, led by researchers at Harvard Medical School's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, examined the toilet and smartphone habits of 125 adults undergoing routine colonoscopy screening.
Doctors directly examined participants for hemorrhoids during the procedure, then compared the findings to each person's self-reported habits.
The results were striking: participants who used smartphones on the toilet spent significantly more time there than those who did not, with 37.3% of smartphone users spending more than five minutes per visit, compared to just 7.1% of non-smartphone users.
Even after adjusting for other known risk factors like diet and exercise, smartphone use on the toilet was associated with a 46% increased risk of hemorrhoids. The most common activities people reported doing on their phones were reading news and browsing social media.
Notably, the researchers found that people who used their phones weren't more constipated and didn't strain any harder than those who didn't — the link appeared to come down to time spent sitting rather than straining itself.
Why Sitting on the Toilet Longer Might Cause Hemorrhoids
The Toilet Seat Itself Plays a Role
Unlike a regular chair, an open toilet seat doesn't fully support the pelvic floor, and this positioning compresses the rectal area, keeping the body lower than it would sit in a normal chair. Over time, this posture increases pressure on the veins in that region.
Prolonged Sitting Increases Blood Pooling
Family medicine physician Dr. Michael J. Allen explained the mechanism in simple terms to Healthline: sitting on the toilet for extended periods can put rectal veins under pressure, causing blood to pool and swelling that makes hemorrhoids more likely — similar to kinking a garden hose, where the longer the kink lasts, the more backpressure builds.
It's About Time, Not Just Straining
One of the more interesting findings from the study is that phone use didn't appear to increase straining — it simply kept people sitting much longer than they otherwise would have.
As the study's senior author, Dr. Trisha Pasricha, explained, prolonged sitting increases pressure in the veins around the rectum, which can contribute to hemorrhoids.
Scrolling tends to distort our sense of time, so a "quick check" of your phone can quietly turn into ten or fifteen minutes.
Lifestyle Factors May Compound the Risk
The study also found that phone users on the toilet tended to report less overall physical activity, suggesting that both toilet habits and broader lifestyle patterns may combine to increase hemorrhoid risk.
Does This Apply to Younger Adults Too?
The study focused on adults 45 and older, since researchers needed a comparison group of people who don't use smartphones on the toilet — a group that's harder to find among younger adults.
However, the study's lead researcher noted that the results likely apply to younger people as well, since they are the most likely demographic to always have their phones with them.
How to Reduce Your Risk
Leave your phone outside the bathroom.When to See a Doctor
Even mild hemorrhoids are worth mentioning to a doctor if you notice:
- Rectal bleeding, especially if it's new, heavy, or ongoing
- A painful lump near the anus that doesn't improve
- Symptoms that don't get better with basic home care after about a week
- Changes in bowel habits that persist
Conclusion
The evidence is now more than anecdotal: bringing your phone into the bathroom really can raise your risk of hemorrhoids, largely because it keeps you sitting far longer than you realize.
The fix doesn't require dramatic lifestyle changes — leaving your phone outside the bathroom, keeping toilet visits brief, and supporting healthy digestion with fiber, water, and movement can go a long way.
If you already have hemorrhoid symptoms that aren't improving, it's worth checking in with a healthcare provider rather than scrolling through the discomfort.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is there actual scientific evidence linking phone use to hemorrhoids, or is it just a theory?
There's now a peer-reviewed study. Research published in PLOS One in 2025 found smartphone use on the toilet was associated with a 46% higher risk of hemorrhoids, based on direct colonoscopy findings in 125 adults.
2. Does using my phone on the toilet cause hemorrhoids because of straining?
Not necessarily. The study found phone users didn't strain any harder than non-users — the link appeared to come from spending more time sitting on the toilet, not straining itself.
3. How long is too long to sit on the toilet?
There's no strict cutoff, but the study found smartphone users were far more likely to spend over five minutes per visit compared to non-users. Keeping visits brief, ideally just a couple of minutes, is a reasonable target.
4. Can younger people be at risk too, even though the study focused on adults 45+?
Yes. Researchers believe the findings likely apply to younger adults as well, since they're the demographic most likely to always have a phone within reach.
5. Will hemorrhoids go away if I just stop using my phone on the toilet?
Reducing toilet time can help prevent new hemorrhoids or worsening symptoms, but existing hemorrhoids may still need dietary changes, home care, or medical treatment to fully resolve.
6. What else besides phone use increases hemorrhoid risk?
Constipation, diarrhea, straining, pregnancy, obesity, prolonged sitting or standing, and a low-fiber diet are all established risk factors alongside prolonged toilet time.
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📚 Medical Sources
- Mayo Clinic — Hemorrhoids
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) — Hemorrhoids
- American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons — Hemorrhoids
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), Treatment of Hemorrhoids
- Healthline – IBS and Hemorrhoids: What's the Link?
- Healthline – Ulcerative Colitis and Hemorrhoids
- Texas A&M Vital Record – What Causes Hemorrhoids
- Cleveland Clinic, Hemorrhoids: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment
- Harvard Health Publishing, Hemorrhoids and what to do about them
- Diseases of the Colon & Rectum (Springer) – Diarrheal Disorders and Hemorrhoidal Disease
- PMC / NCBI – Smartphone Use on the Toilet and the Risk of Hemorrhoids (PLOS One, 2025)
- Harvard Gazette – Does This Cellphone Habit Raise Risk of Hemorrhoids?
- Healthline – Scrolling on Your Phone on the Toilet and Hemorrhoid Risk
- NBC News – Smartphones Can Be a Pain in the Butt When Used in the Bathroom
