Health library

Sept. 18, 2025—Taking your phone to the toilet with you to catch up on the news or scroll through social media might seem like an efficient use of your downtime. But it could put you at risk for painful hemorrhoids, researchers warn.

What are hemorrhoids?

Hemorrhoids are swollen veins that form in the rectum and anus or outside the anus. If you have one, you might:

• Notice a lump near your anus.
• See bright red blood in the toilet or on toilet paper.
• Have itching and pain in your anal area, especially after a bowel movement.

Things that increase pressure in the veins of the rectum and anus can cause hemorrhoids, including:

• Straining to have a bowel movement, which can happen if you're constipated.
• Being overweight.
• Pregnancy.
• Lifting heavy objects.
• Sitting on the toilet too long.

Smartphone users stayed longer

A recent study in PLoS One focused on how smartphone use affected time spent on the toilet—and the risk of hemorrhoids. Researchers surveyed 125 adults about their smartphone use while using the toilet, as well as about other behaviors that can lead to hemorrhoids, including straining on the toilet, having a low fiber intake and not getting enough exercise. Researchers used data from screening colonoscopies to check which participants had hemorrhoids.

The results:

• Two-thirds of study participants said they used smartphones while on the toilet. (A little more than half reported reading news, and 44% said they checked social media.)
• What's more, these people stayed longer on the toilet. A little more than 37% of smartphone users stayed more than five minutes per toilet visit, compared to just about 7% of people who did not use a smartphone while toileting.
• The fact that smartphone users stayed longer on the toilet is significant: Participants who checked their phones while using the bathroom had a 46% higher risk of hemorrhoids—even after controlling for other risk factors.

How to cope with hemorrhoids

If you've ever experienced hemorrhoids—phone-related or otherwise—you'll be glad to know the symptoms often improve on their own within a few days. In the meantime, you can ease the pain by:

• Taking warm baths.
• Wiping with wet toilet paper.
• Using a hemorrhoid cream.

You should talk to your doctor if your hemorrhoids don't stop hurting after one to two weeks or if you're often bothered by them, says the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Learn more about medical treatments and self-care options for hemorrhoids.

Sources

• American Academy of Family Physicians. "Hemorrhoids." https://familydoctor.org/condition/hemorrhoids/.
• American College of Gastroenterology. "Hemorrhoids and Fissures." https://gi.org/topics/hemorrhoids-and-other-anal-disorders/.
• Merck Manual Consumer Version. "Quick Facts: Hemorrhoids." https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/quick-facts-digestive-disorders/anal-and-rectal-disorders/hemorrhoids.
• National Library of Medicine. "Smartphone Use on the Toilet and the Risk of Hemorrhoids." https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12407481/.