Using your phone on the toilet? 7 health conditions that tell you why it's a bad idea

These days, scrolling through your phone while sitting on the toilet has become a nearly universal habit. Whether you’re catching up on messages, watching videos, reading the news, or just passing the time, the bathroom ritual often doubles as a digital break, as the toilet becomes a mini escape from the world. On the surface, it feels harmless – a few extra minutes here and there. But emerging research suggests this convenience could carry hidden risks to health – especially in the digestive, anal, and pelvic areas.

A new study published in PLOS One by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston found that adults who use smartphones on the toilet have a 46% higher risk of hemorrhoids than those who don’t. Why? Because using a phone tends to prolong the time spent on the toilet, it increases pressure in the rectal veins. That alone may explain much of the risk. What drives this risk? Mainly, increased time sitting on the toilet (especially more than 5 minutes per visit), more pressure on anal and rectal veins, reduced physical activity, and distraction leading to poor habits.

But that’s just one of several problems being connected to this modern bathroom behaviour. From infections to pelvic damage, posture issues to digestive trouble, using your phone during bathroom visits might be doing more harm than you think.

In this article, we explore seven specific health conditions or risks linked with phone use on the toilet. We discuss what recent studies show, how each condition develops, and simple changes you can make to avoid becoming vulnerable. Even if you don’t bring your phone into the bathroom, some of these risks apply to prolonged sitting. Learning these can help you make smarter choices about when and how to use your phone — especially in your most private moments.

The following are several health conditions that are (or may be) linked to this particular bathroom habit, how the phone-on-toilet behavior contributes, and what you can do to reduce the risk.

The strongest and most directly studied risk so far is hemorrhoids. In the recent PLOS One study, 66% of participants said they used smartphones while on the toilet. Among them, 37.3% spent more than five minutes per visit, while only 7.1% of non-phone users did. The doctors found a 46% higher risk of hemorrhoids in those who used phones, even after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), fiber intake, exercise, and straining. The stress comes from prolonged sitting without support to the pelvic floor or perineum. Over time, this increases pressure in anal veins, causing swelling, pain, bleeding, and itching. Even though hemorrhoids are often dismissed as a mild issue, they can significantly reduce the quality of life.

Using your phone can distract you from letting bowel pressure build up naturally. People may “hover” on the toilet longer, ignore the initial urge to go, or delay pushing when it's time — because they're distracted. That behavior can lead to constipation: stool becomes harder, and bowel movements are less regular. If you regularly delay or prolong bathroom breaks, your gut rhythm can suffer. Experts note that constant distractions like phones can encourage avoidance of natural cues.

Anal fissures are small tears in the skin around the anus. They often happen when hardened stool or sudden straining occurs. If constipation worsens due to phone use or sitting too long, the risk of fissures rises. Discomfort, pain during bowel movements, or bleeding are common symptoms. While fissures have multiple causes, anything that increases pressure during bathroom visits, like prolonged sitting induced by phone distraction, may contribute.

The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that support the bladder, bowel, and sexual function. Sitting on the toilet for long, especially on an open seat that doesn’t support the perineum well, weakens these muscles. Over time, this can lead to symptoms like urinary urgency, incontinence (leaking), or difficulty fully emptying the bladder or bowel. Medical experts have warned about “hovering” postures and prolonged sitting, increasing the risk to pelvic floor health.

Phones in the bathroom increase the chance of spreading germs. Toilets flush, creating aerosols (tiny droplets), which carry bacteria that settle in the air or on surfaces — including the phone. Once contaminated, touching your phone and then your face or hands without washing properly can seed bacterial transmission. Also, incomplete emptying of the bladder linked to poor posture or distraction may allow bacteria to stay longer, increasing infection risk.

Phone screens and cases are rarely cleaned thoroughly. Bathrooms are moist and warm — ideal for bacterial growth (e.g., E. coli, Salmonella). Touching a contaminated phone to sensitive skin (especially around the hand-face area) can lead to skin irritation, rashes, or infections. For those with preexisting skin conditions (eczema, dermatitis), this may worsen symptoms. Studies into phone surfaces as “reservoirs” for bacteria support this risk.

Holding your body in toilet seating postures for an extended time, especially when leaning forward or looking down at your phone, strains your back, neck, and hip joints. Slouched posture increases pressure on the lower back and can lead to discomfort, muscle stiffness, or long-term posture issues. Beyond that, spending too long in the bathroom can also embed unhealthy habits: ignoring normal bowel rhythms, delaying bathroom use, or building up dependency on distraction (phone) for bathroom breaks.