How does sitting on the toilet for a long time harm your health?

Many people prefer to carry their phones with them to the bathroom, which makes them spend 15 minutes reading and browsing instead of three minutes. Although some believe that this sitting position to relieve yourself is harmless, experts warn against what they call sitting for a long time on the toilet seat, because it may harm your health.

This type of sitting has also been linked to an increased risk of hemorrhoids and weak pelvic floor muscles, said Dr. Lai Shi, a colorectal surgeon at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

“When patients come to me complaining of pain, one of the main areas we have to delve into is spending too much time on the toilet,” Shiu added. Here are the health conditions that sitting on the toilet for too long in the bathroom can cause:

• Problems urinating due to sitting for long periods

Dr. Farah Munther, an assistant professor of medicine and director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center at Stony Brook School of Medicine in Long Island, New York, said people should spend an average of five to 10 minutes on the toilet.

Gravity keeps us on Earth, but that same gravity also forces the body to work harder to pump blood to the heart, Shiu said.

The open, oval-shaped toilet seat presses on your buttocks, keeping your rectum lower than it would be if you were sitting on a couch. As gravity pulls your lower body down, the increased pressure affects your circulation.

“It becomes a one-way value where blood goes in, but can't come back out,” Shiu added.

As a result, the veins and blood vessels surrounding the anus and lower rectum become enlarged and filled with blood, increasing the risk of hemorrhoids.

• Hemorrhoid accumulation

Forced straining can also increase pressure, allowing hemorrhoids to build up. Munther explained that people who check their phones while sitting on the toilet tend to lose track of time as they sit and strain their muscles to have a bowel movement.

“Right now, we are seeing an increase in the number of people who spend more time on the toilet, which is unhealthy for the anal organs, rectum, and pelvic floor,” Shiu added.

In addition to weak anal muscles and forced straining, Munther said that sitting on the toilet for a long time can also increase the risk of rectal prolapse, which is when the rectum, which is part of the large intestine, slides down and bulges out of the anus.

• Be mindful of the time you spend in the bathroom.

To avoid spending too much time sitting on the toilet, Dr. Lance Oradumu, an interventional gastroenterologist at Hope, Orange County in Irvine, California, recommends keeping phones, magazines, and books out of the bathroom.

“You don’t want to get into the mindset that you’re going to be there for a long time,” Munther explained. “Because then you want to bring something to keep you busy. Make sitting on the toilet as uninteresting as possible.”

The pelvic floor muscles are also weakened by sitting on the toilet for long periods of time. Shiu explained that the pelvic floor muscles coordinate a large amount of bowel movements, working with the rest of the body to ensure that stool passes smoothly. The gravitational pressure on the pelvic floor strains the muscles when you sit for long periods of time.

If you're having trouble getting rid of your stool, Chiu advises getting out after 10 minutes and walking around a bit, as movement can stimulate your bowel muscles. Chiu also recommends drinking water and eating fiber-rich foods like oats and beans to help produce regular bowel movements and avoid straining.

The National Academy of Medicine recommends drinking 2.7 to 3.7 liters of water per day. Additionally, the USDA recommends consuming 14 grams of fiber per 1,000 calories of food.

Shio pointed out that fiber and water soften the stool, making it easier to pass.

• Long bathroom times and colorectal cancer

However, there are situations where people have to spend an unusual amount of time on the toilet. Persistent difficulty or discomfort when passing stool can be a symptom of digestive problems, such as irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn's disease.

Worsening constipation or the need to sit on the toilet for a long time may also be a sign of cancer.

“If the growth inside the colon becomes large enough, it can obstruct the flow of stool, which can cause constipation and bleeding,” Oradomo said.

The American Cancer Society recently reported that rates of colorectal cancer have increased among people under age 55 since the mid-1990s, and the nonprofit organization estimated that there will be 106,590 new cases of colon cancer and 46,220 new cases of rectal cancer this year.

In Oradomo's career, he recalls many young people who spoke to him about hemorrhoids and constipation and were later diagnosed with rectal cancer.

If you’re experiencing symptoms of constipation or sitting on the toilet for longer than three weeks, Munther said it’s time to talk to your doctor. Depending on the severity of your symptoms, your primary care doctor may refer you to a gastroenterologist or colon and rectal surgeon for a closer look.

Source: American Press