Hemorrhoid Artery Embolization and Toilet Phone Habits
Phones have changed the way people work, relax, and even use the bathroom. For many younger adults, a quick trip to the toilet now becomes ten, fifteen, or twenty minutes of scrolling through news, texts, videos, or social media. The phone itself is not directly causing hemorrhoids. The issue is the extra time spent sitting in a position that can increase pressure in the lower pelvic area.
That connection is now moving from common sense into published research. A 2025 PLOS One study on smartphone use on the toilet looked at adults undergoing screening colonoscopy and found that sixty six percent reported using smartphones while on the toilet. Smartphone users were younger than non users, spent more time on the toilet, and had a forty six percent increased risk of hemorrhoids after researchers adjusted for factors such as age, sex, BMI, exercise, straining, and fiber intake. The study supports what many doctors are seeing in clinic: bathroom scrolling can turn a normal body function into a repeated pressure event.
Why Prolonged Toilet Sitting Matters
Hemorrhoids are common and occur when supportive tissue in a sensitive lower area becomes irritated, enlarged, or symptomatic. Symptoms may include discomfort, itching, swelling, pressure, and spotting. In a large PLOS One study of adults undergoing colonoscopy, researchers found that constipation was associated with higher hemorrhoid prevalence, while higher grain fiber intake was associated with reduced risk. The same study on hemorrhoid risk factors also shows why bowel habits matter when discussing prevention.
The toilet is a unique sitting position. Unlike sitting in a chair, sitting on a toilet leaves the pelvic floor partly unsupported. When a person stays there longer than needed, gravity and downward pressure can add strain to sensitive tissue. Add scrolling, and time passes quickly. What started as a short bathroom break can become a long session that repeats day after day.
The same pattern appears in broader research on anorectal disease. A 2025 Frontiers in Surgery study on toilet behaviors and anorectal disease compared patients with anorectal disease to healthy controls and found that patients had higher rates of constipation and prolonged toilet sitting. The authors noted that counseling should include limiting toilet time to about three to five minutes. This is practical advice. The goal is not to rush bowel movements, but to avoid turning the toilet into a chair, reading spot, or social media station.
Why Younger Adults Are Seeing More Hemorrhoid Problems
Younger people may be especially vulnerable to this habit because smartphone use is built into daily routines. The bathroom can feel like one of the few private spaces where people can catch up on messages or take a mental break. Over time, however, that habit can quietly increase toileting duration. The body may also adapt to poor bathroom patterns, including delayed response to the urge to go, more straining, or more time waiting for a bowel movement that is not ready.
Prevention starts with behavior. Going when the urge is present, avoiding straining, keeping bathroom visits efficient, staying hydrated, and getting enough fiber can help reduce irritation and pressure. For many patients, the first step is simple: leave the phone outside the bathroom and give the body a few focused minutes instead of an open ended scrolling session.
When Lifestyle Changes Are Not Enough
Still, prevention does not solve every case. Some people develop persistent internal hemorrhoids despite lifestyle changes, fiber, topical treatment, stool softeners, or office based procedures. Others experience repeated symptoms that interfere with work, exercise, travel, and daily comfort. That is where a modern treatment option such as Hemorrhoid Artery Embolization, or HAE, may be considered for appropriate patients.
At Joint & Vascular Institute, we offer Hemorrhoid Artery Embolization as a minimally invasive, image guided procedure used to treat internal hemorrhoids by reducing excess circulation to the affected area. Rather than using a traditional surgical approach, an interventional radiologist guides a small catheter through the vascular system and places tiny particles to decrease the supply feeding the hemorrhoids. With reduced supply, the hemorrhoidal tissue can shrink and symptoms may improve.
HAE is part of a broader field called interventional radiology, which uses imaging tools to treat medical conditions through small access points rather than large incisions. For people who are worried about pain, downtime, or traditional surgery, this approach can be an important conversation to have with a specialist. It is most often discussed for internal hemorrhoids, especially when symptoms continue despite conservative care. A medical evaluation is still necessary because similar symptoms can have many causes, and hemorrhoids should not be assumed without proper assessment.
What Research Says About HAE
Clinical research on rectal artery embolization is growing. A systematic review and meta analysis published in CardioVascular and Interventional Radiology evaluated thirteen studies including 381 patients. In that review of rectal artery embolization outcomes, technical success was reported in ninety nine percent of procedures, clinical efficacy in eighty two percent, and no major complications were reported in the pooled studies. These are general findings from published literature, not a promise for any individual patient. Results depend on anatomy, hemorrhoid grade, symptoms, medical history, and proper patient selection.
For patients comparing treatment options, we also explain how HAE differs from other common approaches in our guide to hemorrhoid embolization vs banding and surgery. Traditional treatments can still be appropriate for many patients, and the best option depends on the type of hemorrhoids, symptom severity, exam findings, and prior treatment history.
Better Habits and Modern Treatment Options
The rise of toilet phone use is a reminder that small daily habits can have real physical effects. A phone may make bathroom time feel harmless, but the body still experiences the pressure of prolonged sitting. For younger adults, the best strategy is to keep toilet time short, treat constipation early, avoid straining, and separate scrolling from bowel habits.
At Joint & Vascular Institute, we focus on minimally invasive, image guided options for conditions that affect quality of life. For patients with ongoing internal hemorrhoid symptoms, HAE may offer a nonsurgical path worth discussing after a proper diagnosis. The bigger message is simple: do not wait for hemorrhoids to become a long term problem. Better bathroom habits can help reduce risk, and advanced treatment options are available when conservative care is not enough.