They have become an extension of ourselves, glued to our hands and capturing our full attention even in our beds. On a daily basis, we are capable of spending long hours on our smartphones and other tablets, absorbed by a whole bunch of videos that are often indispensable on social networks. And if we’re honest, many of us also take our smartphones to the bathroom while we do our big errand.
A “cracking” habit which, in addition to covering your smartphone with bacteria, increases the time we spend in the toilet tenfold, which is not without deleterious effects on health. By what mechanisms? And what are the consequences? 20 Minutes explains.
Too much time on the throne
On average, we should spend five to ten minutes in the toilet to defecate, according to Dr Farah Monzur, assistant professor of medicine and director of the Center for Inflammatory Bowel Disease at Stony Brook Medicine on Long Island, USA, cited by CNN. However, the French spend around 45 minutes per day in the toilet, according to an OpinionWay survey for the Unbouchers company published in 2023. Even more than an hour for some respondents.
However, spending too much time on the throne can be detrimental to your health. “When patients come to me with complaints, one of the main areas we need to look at in depth is time spent in the bathroom,” says CNN Dr. Lai Xue, colorectal surgeon at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Because prolonged sitting on the toilet is associated with “an increased risk of hemorrhoids and weakening of the pelvic muscles”.
For what ? First, sitting on the toilet seat compresses the posterior and keeps the rectum in a lower position than normal, which affects blood circulation: the veins and blood vessels surrounding the anus and lower rectum expand and become engorged with blood, which increases the risk of hemorrhoids.
Concentrate more and force less
A phenomenon that Céline has had the painful experience of. “I have a temperamental transit, and I have developed this bad habit of going to the toilet with my smartphone, which makes me fall into the black hole of networks by making me stay in the toilet much longer than it should. would be necessary, confides the 33-year-old young woman. During this time, I’m not really “focused” on what I’m doing. Eventually, I realized that I was pushing more than necessary, and a few months ago, when I was defecating, I felt that “something was coming out” and it was extremely painful. . It was a sort of cluster of veins at the anus. I managed to get an appointment with a gastroenterologist who told me that it was a hemorrhoidal crisis, and that many patients consult her for the same problem, caused by the same bad habit : the smartphone in the toilet”.
If screens are to be banned from bedrooms, they should also be banned from the little corner. In practice, scrolling while seated on the toilet bowl can turn what should have been a strategic emptying break of less than five to ten minutes into an endless session on the throne. And as Céline pointed out, focusing on the task at hand when you are on the throne is important. And you have to know not to force it. If nature doesn’t work, it’s better to try again later when the urge arises. Because forcing the push can also cause hemorrhoids. But sometimes we spend too much time sitting on the toilet bowl because of another health problem. If intestinal transit is regularly and lastingly affected, constipation could be a sign of another pathology, in which case you should not delay in consulting a health professional to establish a diagnosis.
For her part, to get out of her hemorrhoidal crisis, Céline was prescribed “a venotonic treatment, which promotes venous return, and above all to avoid sitting on the toilet for too long to avoid recurrence. Needless to say, the specialist advised me to ban my smartphone from the toilets! In total, it took about two weeks to recover, but I was pissed, jokes the young woman. I was really hurt! Now, the smartphone in the toilet is over! »
Facilitate operations
In addition to banishing screens from the little corner, spending less time in the toilet is in preparation. Besides the smartphone, constipation is a major cause responsible for increased time spent in the toilet. To combat this health problem, it starts with the plate: “A diet low in fiber (poor in whole grains or legumes) combined with insufficient water consumption promotes the occurrence of constipation,” warns health insurance. Thus, “a balanced diet is a factor that can free you from constipation. Consume foods rich in dietary fiber to increase the frequency of stools and improve their consistency. Fiber has an effect on transit through its ability to increase the flow of water into the colon, through a direct stimulating effect on the intestine. On a daily basis, it is therefore recommended to “favor green vegetables and fresh fruits, to gradually consume bran or whole grain bread as well as legumes”, recommends Health Insurance.
At the end of the day, certain details are also important. In his work, the best-seller The discreet charm of the intestine (ed. Actes-Sud), Giulia Enders has extensively studied the intestinal microbiota and what she calls in an unconventional and unfussy way “the art of shitting well”. And to facilitate operations, the German doctor recommends adopting the position which will allow reaching the optimal “ano-rectal angle”. To do this, you need to adopt a squatting position. In practice, there is no need to install a Turkish toilet at home: sitting on the bowl, “you just need to place your feet on a small low stool and lean your torso slightly forward,” recommends Giulia Enders. A small, simple and effective change, for a “release” two and a half times faster, without pain or difficulty.
