Do you use your time on the john to catch up on the news, go through your e-mail or check out social media?
Be careful -- you might be more likely to develop hemorrhoids, new research shows.
Folks who use a smartphone on the toilet have a 46% higher risk of hemorrhoids than those who don't, researchers reported in the journal PLOS One.
Smartphone use might inadvertently prolong toilet time, potentially increasing pressure on the anus and contributing to hemorrhoids, researchers explained.
"We're still uncovering the many ways smartphones and our modern way of life impact our health," senior researcher Dr. Trisha Pasricha, a gastroenterologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, said in a news release. "It's possible that how and where we use them -- such as while in the bathroom -- can have unintended consequences."
