Latest news with #TrishaSatyaPasricha
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Using Your Phone on The Toilet May Dramatically Increase Risk of Hemorrhoids
Reading on the toilet is something people many do, but the time-sucking powers of smartphones may have us sitting on the ceramic stool for an unhealthy amount of time. A new survey has found that those who use their phones on the toilet face a 46 percent increased risk for hemorrhoids – swollen veins in the lower rectum, thought to be caused by too much pressure. A participant's age, sex, body mass, exercise, or fiber intake did not have an impact on the results. The survey – presented recently at the Digestive Diseases Week (DDW) conference in San Diego, CA – considered 125 participants who were receiving a colonoscopy. More than 40 percent had a hemorrhoid, and 93 percent said they used their phone on the toilet at least once a week. About half that group said they read news on the toilet, whereas about 44 percent said they were on social media, and about 30 percent were emailing or texting, according to presenter Trisha Satya Pasricha of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. Some of the respondents said they spent more than 6 minutes on the toilet, per visit, and many said they believed they were on the toilet longer because of their smartphones. A small survey like this one can only show correlations and possible risk factors. Whether or not reading on the toilet actually predisposes someone to hemorrhoids needs further research. In the United States, nearly 4 million doctor and emergency department visits annually are due to hemorrhoids, and yet the condition is poorly understood and tracked. At this point, we only have hypotheses as to how it occurs. In fact, the only US national survey on hemorrhoids was conducted in 1989. No newer data exists at this level. Hemorrhoids are clusters of blood vessels, smooth muscle, and connective tissue in and around the lower rectum, and while everyone has these cushions, which are thought to make pooping easier, when the tissues swell or bleed, they are known colloquially as hemorrhoids. While there are probably a variety of factors that lead to hemorrhoids, scientists generally think they are caused by overstraining, extended defecation time, or frequent bowel movements. Some studies suggest, for instance, that prolonged sitting may be a contributing factor, possibly because sitting on the toilet weakens and dilates blood vessels in and around the anus and rectum. As a result, some doctors advise we spend no more than 10 minutes on the john. But other experts suggest spending no more than 3 minutes. This latter recommendation is based on a study of 100 patients with confirmed hemorrhoids, who spent more time reading on the toilet than their age and sex-matched counterparts without hemorrhoids. Reading on the toilet is hardly a modern phenomenon. In colonial times, it is said that people used to wipe their butts with newspapers because that is what they had on hand. But phones are attention-suckers on a whole other scale, and there's a chance that their use on the toilet is distracting us from the task at hand. In light of this possible risk factor, some health experts have warned that 'toilet scrolling' may be messing with our 'toilet hygiene'. "It may be time to designate the washroom as a smartphone-free zone," wrote a team of researchers in a paper from 2024. Until we know more, the takeaway seems to be: Keep your time on the toilet limited. Going number two should be your number one priority – not scrolling on your phone. The newest survey was presented on May 5 at Digestive Diseases Week (DDW) 2025. Common Parasite Rips The Face From Your Cells to Wear as a Disguise Scientists '3D Print' Material Deep Inside The Body Using Ultrasound The Secret to Happiness Seems to Depend Upon You, Study Finds
RTÉ News
14-05-2025
- Health
- RTÉ News
Smartphone use on toilet increases risk of haemorrhoids
A new scientific study has found that using smartphones on the toilet increases the risk of haemorrhoids. The study was presented at an annual meeting of medical experts in San Diego last week. It concluded that smartphone users spent significantly more time on the toilet and had a 46% increased risk for haemorrhoids than non-users. The findings came from a cross-sectional survey of 125 adult patients undergoing colonoscopies for screening purposes. The survey asked about smartphone habits while using the toilet, as well as other behaviours such as straining, fibre intake, and physical activity. It found that 43% of all participants in the survey had haemorrhoids confirmed visually during their colonoscopy. However, when that was adjusted to take account of age, sex, body mass index, and behavioural patterns, it revealed that those who used smartphones while on the toilet had a 46% increased risk of piles. The survey found that those who use smart phones while on the toilet spent significantly more time there than those who did not. A total of 37.3% spent more than six minutes there, compared with just 7.1% of non-users who stayed that long. In addition, 35% of smart phone users said they spent more time on the toilet because of using their smartphones while there. Out of the 125 participants in the survey, 66% used smartphones while on the toilet. The vast majority of that group, 93%, said they did so at least one to two times per week or more. More than half, 55.4%, said they used their smart phone most of the time while on the toilet. Reading the news on the toilet was the most common activity, with 54.3% saying they did so. This was followed by social media at 44.4%. In total 30.5% attended to emailing and texting on the toilet. The study was presented in San Diego by Dr Trisha Satya Pasricha of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre in Boston. She was speaking during Digestive Disease Week, an event for professionals working in gastroenterology, hepatology, GI endoscopy, gastrointestinal surgery and related fields. The conclusion of Dr Satya Pasricha was that "prolonged engagement with smartphones while using the toilet may be associated with an increased prevalence of haemorrhoids". She called for further research to explore the causal relationships and examine behavioural modifications as strategies for preventing haemorrhoid development.
Medscape
05-05-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Using Smartphones on the Toilet Increases Hemorrhoid Risk
Smartphone users spent significantly more time on the toilet than nonusers and had a 46% increased risk for hemorrhoids, according to results of a recent survey. METHODOLOGY: Researchers conducted a cross-sectional survey in adult patients undergoing screening colonoscopy. Survey questions were designed to assess smartphone habits while using the toilet; responses to Rome IV questionnaires for functional gastrointestinal orders in adults; and other behaviors such as straining, fiber intake, and physical activity levels. The presence of hemorrhoids was assessed through direct visualization as documented in endoscopic reports. TAKEAWAY: Among the 125 participants, 43% had hemorrhoids visualized on colonoscopy. Overall, 66% of respondents used smartphones while on the toilet; 93% of those used a smartphone on the toilet at least one to two times per week or more, and more than half (55.4%) used it most of the time. Smartphone use on the toilet was associated with a 46% increased risk for hemorrhoids ( P = .044) after adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, exercise activity, and fiber intake. = .044) after adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, exercise activity, and fiber intake. Participants who used smartphones on the toilet spent significantly more time there than those who did not; 37.3% of them spent more than 6 minutes per visit on the toilet compared with 7.1% of nonsmartphone users ( P = .006), and 35% said they believed they spent more time on the toilet because of their smartphone use. = .006), and 35% said they believed they spent more time on the toilet because of their smartphone use. The most common activity performed while on the toilet was reading 'news' (54.3%), followed by 'social media' (44.4%), and email/texting (30.5%). IN PRACTICE: 'Prolonged engagement with smartphones while using the toilet may be associated with an increased prevalence of hemorrhoids,' the authors wrote. 'Further research is warranted to explore causal relationships and examine behavioral modifications as strategies for preventing hemorrhoid development.' SOURCE: This study was presented on May 5 by Trisha Satya Pasricha, MD, MPH, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, at Digestive Diseases Week (DDW) 2025. LIMITATIONS: It was not possible to draw conclusions about the cause and effect or explore the potential mechanism underlying the association due to the observational nature of this study. DISCLOSURES: No funding information was provided. Credit Lead image: Vadimgozhda/Dreamstime Medscape Medical News © 2025 WebMD, LLC Cite this: Using Smartphones on the Toilet Increases Hemorrhoid Risk - Medscape - May 05, 2025.
