Let’s be honest, people have a habit of taking their phones to the bathroom.
I’ve been guilty of it myself, and chances are someone is on the toilet reading this article right now.
A three-minute trip to the loo can easily turn into 15 minutes of reading, scrolling and posting.
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It might seem a harmless way to pass the time when you’re doing number two.
However, experts warn what they call prolonged sitting on the toilet can harm your health.
It has even been connected to an increased risk of haemorrhoids and weakened pelvic muscles, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre colorectal surgeon Dr Lai Xue said.
“When patients present to me with complaints, one of the main areas we have to delve deeply into is spending a lot of time on the toilet,” Xue said.
Here’s what is going on when you overstay your toilet time.
Potty problems from sitting too long
People should spend an average of five to 10 minutes on the toilet, Stony Brook Medicine Inflammatory Bowel Disease Centre director Dr Farah Monzur said
Why is it a problem if you stay longer?
First, here’s a short physics lesson. Gravity keeps us grounded on Earth, but that same gravity also forces the body to work harder to pump blood back up to the heart, Xue said.
The open oval-shaped toilet seat compresses the buttocks, keeping the rectum in a lower position than if you were sitting on the couch. With gravity pulling the lower half of the body down, the increased pressure affects your blood circulation.
“It becomes a one-way value where blood enters, but blood really can’t go back,” Xue said.
As a result, the veins and blood vessels surrounding the anus and lower rectum become enlarged and engorged with blood, increasing the risk of haemorrhoids.
Don’t force it either
Forced straining can also increase the pressure to allow haemorrhoids to build.
People scrolling on their phones on the toilet tend to lose track of time, Monzur said, sitting and straining their muscles to get a bowel movement out.
And guess what? Your doctors can tell.
“Nowadays we’re seeing an increase in people passing more time on the toilet and that is very much unhealthy for the anorectal organs and the pelvic floor,” Xue added.
In addition to weakened anal muscles and forced straining, Monzur said sitting on the toilet bowl for too long can also increase the risk of rectal prolapse.
A rectal prolapse is when the rectum, part of the large intestine, slips down and bulges out of the anus.
The pelvic floor muscles are another type of muscle weakened from prolonged toilet sitting.
Xue explained pelvic floor muscles co-ordinate a significant amount of bowel movement and work with the rest of the body to ensure stool comes out smoothly. The gravitational pressure on the pelvic floor strains the muscles when constantly sitting for long periods.
Be more mindful of bathroom time
To avoid spending too much time on the porcelain throne, interventional gastroenterologist Dr Lance Uradomo advised keeping phones, magazines and books out of the bathroom.
“You don’t want to go with the mindset that you will be there for a long time because then you’ll want to bring something to keep the mind occupied,” Monzur said.
“Make sitting on the toilet bowl as uninteresting as possible.”
If you’re having trouble relieving yourself, Xue advised quitting after 10 minutes.
Instead, walk around a bit. The motion can stimulate gut muscles to produce a bowel movement.
Xue also recommended getting hydrated and eating high-fibre foods such as oats and beans to produce regular bowel movements and avoid straining.
Need to know how much? The National Academy of Medicine recommends 2.7 litres to 3.7 litres of water daily.
Additionally, the US Department of Agriculture recommends 14g of fibre for every 1,000 calories of food.
Xue said fibre and water soften the stool, making it easier to pass.
Long bathroom times and colorectal cancer
There are situations, however, in which people have to spend an unusual amount of time on the toilet.
Constant difficulty or discomfort when passing stool can be a symptom of gastrointestinal issues, such as irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn’s disease.
Worsening constipation or a need to sit on the toilet for a long time may also be a sign of cancer.
“If a growth inside the colon grows big enough, it can block the flow of your stool, which can cause constipation and bleeding,” Uradomo said.
The American Cancer Society recently reported an increase in colorectal cancer rates among people younger than 55 since the mid-1990s, and the non-profit estimated there would be 106,590 new cases of colon cancer and 46,220 new cases of rectal cancer this year.
In Uradomo’s career, he’s recalled more young people talking to him about haemorrhoids and constipation and later being diagnosed with rectal cancer.
If you’ve had these symptoms of constipation or sitting on the toilet for a long time for more than three weeks, Monzur said it might be time to bring your concerns to your doctor.
Depending on the severity of the symptoms, your primary care doctor can refer you to a gastroenterologist or a colorectal surgeon for a closer look.