Potty break? Be careful, there's a 46% increased risk of hemorrhoids with your phone in hand

 

Graphic:  Astra Vascular

Headline:  New York Times, 9/30/2025

Melinda Wenner Moyer responds to a reader's question:

Q: I love browsing TikTok while I’m doing my business. Will this give me constipation or hemorrhoids? 

For many, bathroom breaks double as screen time breaks. We text friends, read the news and scroll through social media. But doctors warn that the habit may not be harmless. In a study published earlier this month, for instance, researchers surveyed 125 colonoscopy patients at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston about their bathroom habits. Two-thirds said they had used a smartphone on the toilet at least once, with most saying they had done so at least once a week. The smartphone users also had a 46 percent increased risk for hemorrhoids — inflamed and swollen tissues and blood vessels in the lower rectum and anus.