Doctor shares alarming reason you shouldn’t use your phone while sat on the toilet

Taking your phone with you on a trip to the bathroom is a given for many - but maybe they should think twice.

Whether hopping in the shower to play a new song on your phone or going for a casual Instagram scroll while on the toilet, there are very few places that people will go without their phone.

But while many may think it’s harmless to take their tech companion with them on a bathroom break, you may be surprised to learn that it could actually have harmful consequences in the long run.

Gastroenterologist Dr Sethi took to TikTok to share a number of health warnings that might make you reconsider bring your phone on your next bathroom break.

Using your phone on the toilet puts a strain on your anus

Sethi explained: “First, using your phone while doing a number two can lead to prolonged sitting on the toilet, which can cause strain and pressure on your rectum and anus.

“This can lead to issues such as hemorrhoids, anal fissures and rectal prolapse.”

These health issues are all serious situations, some of which can be chronic.

Hemorrhoids are swollen veins in the anus and lower rectum. An anal fissure is a small tear in the thin, moist tissue that lines the anus. Lastly, rectal prolapse is what happens when the rectum becomes stretched out and slips out of the anus.

As you can imagine, this is something you really don't want to happen to you. The most serious cases of rectal prolapse can actually lead to adults having to have surgery.

But believe it or not, there are other serious reasons not to bring your phone with you to the toilet.

Scrolling on your phone while on the toilet is super unhygienic

According to Dr Sethi: “Another issue is that it can be a breeding ground for bacteria.

"Studies have found that an average smartphone is dirtier than a public toilet seat, so try avoiding scrolling while on the toilet.”

However, being a realist, Doctor Sethi is aware that some people will find the task of not bringing their phone with them to the bathroom a big ask.

If that sounds like you, his advice is to 'at least have a disinfectant wipe around to clean the phone after you’re done with the business'.

The response to this video had some fairly ironic comments.

One TikTok user typed: “Me watching this video, from toilet commode”

Another wrote: “Lemmi forward this to my hubby.”

So Dr Sethi might not have got through to the legions of toilet seat scrollers yet.