Science Case Study: Prolonged Sitting on Toilet Seats

6 months ago

While not all of us do it, it is very common in our world today to go to the toilet with our phone and while we attend to nature’s call, we still pass away time with our phone and as the word implies “passing away time” you will be so surprised at how long people spend in the rest room while pressing their phone. I have a friend who would usually spend up to 1 hour in the bathroom scrolling through the his phone. I am not discussing my friend today but rather about sitting for extended period in the toilet.

Sitting on the toilet for a very long time is not good for our health due to certain reasons such as Hemorrhoids also known as piles. It is a condition that affects the thin vein in the lower rectum and anus. Hemorrhoids can be internal hemorrhoids which is usually inside the rectum, and it is usually painless even though there is potential for bleeding but this is not the same as External hemorrhoids which occur around the skin of the rectum. External hemorrhoids can be painful, cause discomfort and itching.

Asides from these two types of hemorrhoids, there is another which is thrombus hemorrhoid which is caused by blood clot that forms an external hemorrhoid forming a hard discolored lump that is extremely painful. This situation requires immediate medication and should not be taken for granted.

According to Nigerian Professor Haroun Isah of Bingham University; "since the toilet seat is cut out, the rectum is lower than the rest of the body's backside, causing gravity to take over and blood starts to pull causing blood to clot in those veins". Adding any strain to the veins with the clot already would lead to hemorrhoids. According to professor Isah, the sitting position can be a contributing factor to different bowel diseases like appendicitis, colon cancer, and polyps. Experts also explains that we shouldn't spend above 10 minutes in the loo. The goal is not to spend more time than needed in the toilet when you are passing out feces.

There have been Reddit posts where people developed external hemorrhoids after sitting on toilet seat for over 30 minutes. Some people also see blood in their stool that seek medical attention. Some Reddit users even exclusive warn people not to sit in the toilet and read as a result of their experience and doctor's advice. Eating food that contains fiber and drinking lots of water can help prevent hemorrhoids.

Still on the topic of sitting for long on the toilet, in February, 2018. a man in China spent over 30 minutes in the toilet playing game on his phone while sitting on the toilet seat and doing his thing. He then noticed a Rectal prolapse where the rectum falls from the normal position. In his ow case, it was a a lump of his intestine measuring 6.3 in diameter. Doctors were able to savage this via surgery and if the case was not savaged very fast, it can be dangerous.

In April 2014, another person sat for a prolonged period in the toilet and after thirty minutes he was checked upon, and was seen vomiting with his phone broken. He had been using his phone. He was rushed to the hospital and doctors confirmed that he as paralyzed. His paralysis was attributed to his prolonged sitting and his quick stand led to his brain being deprived of oxygen which was worsened by the poor ventilation in the toilet area.

While it may be tempting to take your phone to the toilet and spend extra time scrolling, the health risks associated with prolonged sitting are significant. Hemorrhoids, rectal prolapse, and even more severe consequences like paralysis can result from this habit. Limiting your time on the toilet to no more than 10 minutes, maintaining a diet high in fiber, and drinking plenty of water are simple yet effective ways to mitigate these risks. Prioritize your health and make conscious efforts to reduce extended periods of sitting on the toilet