Don't sit on the toilet seat for more than 10 minutes - Here’s why

One of people’s favourite things to do is sit on their toilet seat and scroll through their phones.

You may be reading articles or scrolling endlessly on social media right now on the toilet seat; it may seem calm and harmless, but experts warn that it’s dangerous to do so.

Here’s why you shouldn’t sit on your toilet seat for a long time

Haemorrhoids

People who are looking through their phones on the toilet tend to lose track of time, sitting and straining their muscles to get a bowel movement out.

Forced straining can increase pressure and lead to the formation of haemorrhoids

As a result, the veins and blood vessels surrounding the anus and lower rectum swell and become engorged with blood, raising the risk of haemorrhoids.  

Affects blood circulation

The problem with lingering longer on the toilet seat stems from the physics law that gravity keeps everything grounded on Earth.

An open, oval-shaped toilet seat compresses the buttocks, holding the rectum in a lower position, which raises pressure and impairs blood circulation, forcing the body to work harder to return blood to the heart.  

Rectal prolapse

Sitting on the toilet bowl for extended periods can increase the risk of rectal prolapse, where the rectum, part of the large intestine, slips down and bulges out of the anus.

Weakened pelvic floor muscles

Prolonged toilet sitting weakens the pelvic floor muscles, which control bowel movement and stool extraction. Gravitational load on the pelvic floor strains these muscles.   

Don’t take your phone to the toilet if you don’t want to spend a long time there, plus water can even damage your phone.