Nine in 10 guilty of dirty habit that is fueling surge in hemorrhoids

The number of people suffering from painful and disruptive hemorrhoids is growing, doctors say, with the modern lifestyle likely to blame.

Research shows one in three people who receive a colonoscopy are diagnosed with hemorrhoids, with the condition accounting for about 4million doctors and hospital visits per year.

In 2025, the hemorrhoids treatment market is projected to reach $1.75billion, up from $1.67billion in 2024. According to Market Research Future, that number is projected to rise to $2.6billion by 2034.  

And the number of Americans searching online for information on hemorrhoids increased five-fold between 2004 and 2023, a DailyMail.com analysis of Google Trends found.   

Hemorrhoids can be caused by many things, including straining during bowel movements, constipation, heavy lifting, sitting for long periods of time and pregnancy, but experts are increasingly pointing to phone use in the bathroom as a major culprit.  

A 2021 survey revealed about three-quarters of Americans bring their phones with them into the bathroom. Among 18- to 29-year-olds, this jumped to nearly all respondents.

This phone use extends the time you are sitting on the toilet, and prolonged sitting leads to increased pressure on the veins in the anus and lower rectum, which can cause them to swell and become inflamed, causing hemorrhoids.

A poor diet or lack of fiber, which 95 percent of Americans do not get enough of in their diet, may also be contributing, as not enough fiber and dehydration can lead to constipation and straining. 

A new survey out of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston found that people who use their phones on the toilet face a 46 percent increased risk for hemorrhoids.

Hemorrhoids, also called piles, are swollen veins in your anus and lower rectum, similar to varicose veins.  

They may develop inside the rectum (internal hemorrhoids) or under the skin around the anus (external hemorrhoids).

Nearly three out of four adults will have hemorrhoids at some point in their lives, according to The Mayo Clinic.

Symptoms include blood in your stool, persistent discomfort, and a feeling of incomplete evacuation when having a bowel movement.

In more severe cases, sufferers may notice a lump in or around the anus, which may be tender or cause pain.

Rectal prolapse, which occurs when the rectum slips out of its normal position, potentially through the anus, is a condition similar to hemorrhoids and the two can be confused.

However, the symptoms are slightly different, with the most common complaints being constipation, itching, pain and bleeding in the rectum and mucus discharge in the stool.

While most cases of hemorrhoids can be managed with lifestyle changes, over-the-counter treatments or minor procedures, rectal prolapse typically requires more intensive medical intervention. 

In both cases, prevention is far preferable to cure.

The recent survey from Beth Israel, presented at the Digestive Diseases Week (DDW) conference in San Diego, 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.

Overall, 66 percent of respondents used smartphones while on the toilet.

The majority (93 percent) of those used a smartphone on the toilet at least one to two times per week or more, and more than half (55 percent) used it most of the time.

Smartphone use on the toilet was associated with a 46 percent increased risk for hemorrhoids 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.

More than a third (37 percent) of them spent more than six minutes per bathroom visit on the toilet compared with seven percent of nonusers, and 35 percent said they believed they spent more time on the toilet because of their smartphone use.

The 2021 study found 73 percent of people bring their phone with them into the bathroom.

This number climbed further when it came to younger people aged 18 to 29, with 93 percent of this age group admitting to using their phones on the toilet, regardless of gender. 

Although there is no universally agreed ‘safe’ length of time to spend on the toilet, most gastroenterologists agree that if a bowel movement doesn’t happen within five to 10 minutes, it’s best to get up, move around and try again later.

Going for a short walk or gently moving the body can help stimulate bowel motility naturally, without the need to strain.

Dietary habits also play a role. 

Low-fiber diets, dehydration and a sedentary lifestyle can all contribute to constipation and harder stools, which increase the likelihood of straining.

Doctors recommend eating more fiber-rich foods such as fruit, vegetables, beans and whole grains, as well as drinking plenty of water throughout the day.

Physical activity, even just light daily movement, can also improve digestion and reduce the chances of constipation.

As for technology in the bathroom, Dr Farah Monzur, director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center at Stony Brook Medicine in New York, said keeping phones and reading material out of the bathroom may be one of the simplest and most effective ways to change toilet habits.

Dr Monzur said that going to the toilet should be treated as a functional event rather than an opportunity to catch up on emails or social media.

‘You don’t want to go with the mindset that you’ll be there for a long time,’ she explained. 

‘Because then you’ll want to bring something to keep your mind occupied, and that’s what encourages this extended sitting. 

‘Make sitting on the toilet as uninteresting as possible.’