Dallas, TX Surgeon Explains Why Scrolling Your Phone on the Toilet is Dangerous

We've heard that scrolling for hours on end is bad for our eyes and our anxiety levels, but did you know it's horrible for other parts of your body, too?

Hey, lots of folks in Longview and Tyler, Texas, are guilty of doing it. So, if you can't disconnect from your phone long enough to take a bathroom break, don't feel bad.

FOMO and doom-scrolling are incredibly addictive. We know that already. We've heard from various sources that it can wreak havoc on our mental health. During stressful times? Even worse.

Plus, staring at screens all day can be bad for our vision. After all, that's one of the reasons we see so many ads about those special blue-light glasses that allegedly offer some protection.

In addition to causing anxiety and eye strain, scrolling for a long time on the toilet is bad for your pelvic area, as well. Like, bad. Potentially.

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What would have been a three to five-minute bathroom break can easily turn into ten or fifteen minutes or more these days.

CNN shared a report that said Lai Xue, a US colorectal surgeon at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre in Dallas, said that 'prolonged sitting on the toilet can harm your health. It's even been connected to an increased risk of hemorrhoids and weakened pelvic muscles.'

What's the big deal? How could simply sitting on the toilet scrolling your phone for a prolonged time hurt your body?

Experts say part of the problem is gravity. Gravity can be a good thing, obviously. At the same time. it means our bodies must push harder to pump blood back to our hearts, says Dr. Xue.

What makes sitting on a toilet more of a problem than sitting on a couch? 

Toilet seats are both oval-shaped and open, leaving the rectum at a lower position than normal. So increased pressure makes it harder for our bodies to circulate blood.

Dr. Xue goes on to explain that because of this, 'veins and blood vessels surrounding the anus and lower rectum become enlarged and engorged with blood, increasing the risk of hemorrhoids.'

Or worse.

Leave the phone on the counter. Take an actual bathroom break--including from your phone.