A new peer-reviewed study finds toilet scrolling may be more than a harmless habit: smartphone use on the toilet was linked to 46% higher odds of hemorrhoids in an adjusted analysis of 125 adults undergoing colonoscopy in 2025, spotlighting a behavior that 66% of participants reported doing regularly [1]. Researchers argue prolonged sitting time—fueled by phones—rather than straining, likely drives the association, adding urgency to calls to limit bathroom sessions and improve dietary fiber [2].

Key Takeaways

– shows smartphone use on the toilet linked to 46% higher odds of hemorrhoids after adjustments, in a 125-person colonoscopy-verified study (P=0.044) [1] – reveals 66% of participants practiced toilet scrolling; 43% had hemorrhoids on colonoscopy, underscoring how common both behaviors and findings were [1] – demonstrates bathroom phone users were 37.3% likely to sit over five minutes versus 7.1% of non-users, pointing to prolonged sitting as mechanism [2] – indicates experts advise limiting toilet time to 5–10 minutes and boosting fiber intake to prevent hemorrhoids potentially tied to toilet scrolling [2][3] – suggests caution: association doesn’t prove causation; Medscape notes observational design and calls for larger prospective trials, after DDW presentation on May 5, 2025 [4]

Inside the PLOS One study linking toilet scrolling to hemorrhoids

Published in 2025, the PLOS One cross-sectional study enrolled 125 adults who underwent colonoscopy, allowing researchers to confirm hemorrhoids objectively rather than relying on self-report [1]. The prevalence was high: 43% had hemorrhoids detected during the procedure, providing a clear outcome measure for the analysis [1].

The exposure was smartphone use on the toilet, colloquially “toilet scrolling.” A full 66% of participants reported using their phone while seated, highlighting how entrenched the habit has become [1]. After adjusting for age, sex, BMI, physical activity, straining, and fiber intake, toilet phone use was associated with 46% higher odds of hemorrhoids, statistically significant at P=0.044 [1].

While the findings are compelling, they reflect associations—not proof of cause—and were observed in a relatively small sample. Still, the quantitative signal is consistent and biologically plausible, particularly given how smartphones can extend the duration of a bathroom visit [1]. The work arrives amid broad public interest and was widely covered in major outlets, underscoring its relevance to everyday behavior [3].

Toilet scrolling lengthens bathroom time, a plausible pathway

Why might phone use matter? Time. In related reporting on the same dataset, 37.3% of people who used phones on the toilet sat for more than five minutes per visit, compared with just 7.1% of non-users—a more than fivefold difference in prolonged sitting [2]. The researchers suggest this extended dwell time increases venous pressure in the anal cushions, setting the stage for hemorrhoids independent of straining [2].

Behavioral self-awareness data point in the same direction. In coverage of the study, 35% of respondents acknowledged their phone makes them spend longer on the toilet, a candid admission that aligns with the time-based mechanism [5]. That combination—objective differences in sitting time and self-reported habit effects—helps explain why an everyday device could nudge hemorrhoid risk upward [2][5].

The Washington Post, which reported the findings on Sept. 3, 2025, echoed this mechanism, noting experts’ view that duration, not merely effort, is the key modifiable factor in the phone-hemorrhoid link [3]. In practice, that makes toilet scrolling a target for simple, behavior-based prevention strategies centered on time limits and routine changes [3].

Expert guidance: limit toilet scrolling and increase fiber

Preventive advice from gastroenterologists is straightforward: limit bathroom sessions to 5–10 minutes, and consider leaving the smartphone outside the bathroom to avoid losing track of time [3]. In coverage of the study, clinicians also emphasized fiber—both dietary and supplemental—as a cornerstone to maintain soft stools and reduce any need to linger, thereby minimizing time-related strain on the anal cushions [2].

Harvard-affiliated physician Dr. Trisha Pasricha, a senior author on the research, put the recommendation plainly: “leave the smartphone outside the bathroom,” a practical cue that directly addresses the time-extension problem created by toilet scrolling [5]. Combined with better fiber intake, that cue provides a two-pronged approach: shorten exposure and improve stool characteristics to reduce the need to sit longer [2][5].

For frequent toilet scrollers, experts advise setting a timer, finishing emails or reads before heading in, and treating the bathroom as a quick stop rather than a scrolling station [3]. These steps align with the study’s implication that minutes matter and that even modest reductions in sitting time could lower the odds implicated by the 46% association [1][3].

What the 46% figure does—and does not—mean

The 46% figure represents a higher adjusted odds of hemorrhoids among toilet phone users compared with non-users in this sample; it is not a guarantee that any individual toilet scroller will develop hemorrhoids [1]. Odds reflect group-level differences under statistical modeling and depend on the baseline prevalence—in this study, 43%—which is already substantial in a colonoscopy population [1].

The analysis was cross-sectional, meaning exposure and outcome were measured at the same time, so causality cannot be inferred [4]. Medscape’s coverage emphasized this limitation and called for larger prospective studies that track people over time and test whether changing phone behavior can reduce hemorrhoid incidence [4]. Importantly, the association remained significant after adjusting for age, sex, BMI, exercise, straining, and fiber intake, strengthening the argument that time on the seat may be decisive [1].

The study’s findings were also presented at Digestive Diseases Week on May 5, 2025, highlighting scientific interest but also the early stage of the evidence base [4]. Until randomized or longitudinal data arrive, the prudent interpretation is that toilet scrolling is a plausible, modifiable risk factor—not a proven cause—and one that intersects with consistent clinical advice to minimize bathroom time [4].

What’s next: better evidence to test toilet scrolling risks

Researchers and clinicians say the next step is a prospective cohort that measures bathroom time objectively and captures real-world phone use, ideally via phone-time telemetry paired with daily symptom logs and clinical confirmation [4]. Such designs could quantify dose-response relationships—how each extra minute of toilet scrolling changes odds—and clarify whether cutting down time reduces new or recurrent hemorrhoids [4].

Intervention trials would be even more decisive: randomly assigning toilet scrollers to leave phones outside, set strict timers, or receive fiber coaching could test whether modifying behavior translates to fewer hemorrhoid diagnoses over months [4]. The study’s authors and science communicators have urged follow-up work on this timeline, signaling that the question is not settled but ripe for rigorous testing [5].

Public interest suggests compliance strategies will matter. Simple nudges—bathroom “no phone” signs, app-based reminders, or night-mode lockouts during typical bowel times—could reduce prolonged sitting without major lifestyle change [5]. While the evidence matures, the low-cost, low-risk playbook remains: keep sessions brief, prioritize fiber, and consider that toilet scrolling might be silently adding minutes your body doesn’t need [2][3][5].

Sources: [1] PLOS One / PubMed – Smartphone use on the toilet and the risk of hemorrhoids: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40901789/ [2] Medical Xpress – Scrolling on the toilet increases your risk of hemorrhoids, new study shows: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-09-scrolling-toilet-hemorrhoids.html [3] The Washington Post – The health risk linked to scrolling too long while on the toilet: www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/09/03/smartphone-use-hemorrhoid-risk/” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow noopener noreferrer”>https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/09/03/smartphone-use-hemorrhoid-risk/ [4] Medscape – Using Smartphones on the Toilet Increases Hemorrhoid Risk: www.medscape.com/viewarticle/using-smartphones-toilet-increases-hemorrhoid-risk-2025a1000asx” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow noopener noreferrer”>https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/using-smartphones-toilet-increases-hemorrhoid-risk-2025a1000asx [5] IFLScience – Bathroom scrollers beware: Phone use on the toilet could up your risk of haemorrhoids by 46%: https://www.iflscience.com/bathroom-scrollers-beware-phone-use-on-the-toilet-could-up-your-risk-of-hemorrhoids-by-46-percent-80655

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