Common habit of the bathroom linked to 46% higher risk of hemorrhoids, a study finding

If you like to bring your phone to the toilet, you might be more likely to develop hemorrhoids. It is according to a new study published in Plos athat People who used their phones on the toilet were 46% more likely to have this gastrointestinal condition based on the results of colonoscopy.

Spending additional time seated can restrict blood flow and compress the veins, increasing the risk of hemorrhoids.

“The study is very opportune because the use of mobile phones seems to be omnipresent,” said Brian C. Jacobson, MD, MPH, gastroenterologist of the Massachusetts General Hospital and spokesperson for the American Gastroenterological Association which was not involved in research. “It should be noted that reading all equipment on the toilet was also very associated with hemorrhoids, so the problem is not smartphones in itself, but spending more time on the toilet,” he said Health.

While you might think of hemorrhoids as something that people develop, The hemorrhoidal fabric is actually something that everyone has. Composed of blood vessels, this fabric lines the anus and helps you detect the gas pressure or a saddle.

Hemorrhoids only become problematic when they swell, which can cause pain and bleeding. While some are external, occurring outside the anus, most are internal. Overall, hemorrhoids are common, with around 75% of Americans who have undergone their lives at some point.

Constipation was once considered the main culprit behind hemorrhoids, said Trisha Pasricha, MD, MPH, the main author of the new study and gastroenterologist at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Now researchers think that the condition is more linked to tension and pressure changes that affect hemorrhoid veins. “In recent years, our reflection on hemorrhoids has really evolved,” she said Health.

Although previous studies have examined how activities such as reading a newspaper on the toilet can affect the risk of hemorrhoid, the impact of the use of the mobile phone had remained an open question.

To explore this, the researchers analyzed the cell phone habits of patients visiting the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center for a Coloscopy. They interviewed 125 people, each aged at least 45, how often they used their phones during the toilet, then compared this to their colonoscopy results.

The investigation showed that 83 participants, or 66%, said they used smartphones on the toilet. This group was almost seven years younger than those who did not use their phones, and they were less physically active. During colonoscopy, 43% of all participants had a visible hemorrhoid.

After analyzing the data, the researchers discovered that Users and non-users of smartphones had the “same levels of constipation, constraint and other factors, [but] The time they spend [on the toilet] is very different,Explained Pasricha.

Although only 7.1% of participants who did not use smartphones spent more than five minutes on the toilet, it was true for 37.3% of smartphones users.

After taking into account risk factors such as sex, constipation, constraint and BMI, researchers concluded that smartphones users were 46% like hemorrhoids compared to non-users.

“”The results obviously have nothing to do with the use of mobile phones – more to do with the toilets on the toilet for long periods», Waqar Qureshi, MD, gastroenterologist and professor at the Baylor College of Medicine, said Health.

But because the study was not a carefully controlled clinical trial, it cannot determine whether this behavior – or something specific in the use of the mobile phone – actually causes hemorrhoids.

Researchers say that their results should be validated in larger studies, including people of different ages, especially since young people seem to use mobile phones. “We are also planning a clinical trial where we try to see how the use of smartphones has an impact on your physiology” and affects stool, “said Pasricha.

That you used to scroll during the toilet, It is important to be careful if you notice blood in your stool or wiping. This could be a sign of internal hemorrhoids – and it is a reason to be checked by a doctor.

“Blood in stools is something that we never ignore in medicine, and we therefore want to make sure that it is nothing else,” said Pas Réricha, like more serious conditions such as anal cracks or colorectal cancer.

Doctors use an endoscope to examine the interior of the anus and confirm if someone has hemorrhoids. Interns can often be treated easily in the doctor’s office, while externals may require surgery.

To help prevent hemorrhoids, experts recommend:

• Drink a lot of water
• Get enough fiber in your diet
• Limit toilet tension

They also suggest trying to reduce the time for the toilet, the period. “Leave the phone, books and magazines outside the bathroom,” said Jacobson. “Remember when you’re done.”