Dr. Joe Whittington is warning people that scrolling on the toilet may seem harmless, but it can cause painful health problems like hemorrhoids. He says the extra minutes spent browsing social media while seated can increase pressure in your lower body in ways you might not expect.
Many people admit to taking their phones to the bathroom, turning quick trips into long sessions of scrolling. What seems like a few harmless minutes may actually be putting serious stress on your veins.
In a viral TikTok, Dr. Joe explains that prolonged sitting on the toilet causes blood to pool around the anus. Over time, this pressure can result in hemorrhoids—swollen veins that are often painful and difficult to ignore.
He tells his patients not to linger after they’re done because those few extra moments can add up quickly. The longer you sit, the more time your veins are under stress from gravity and poor posture.
The Mayo Clinic describes hemorrhoids as varicose veins in your rectum or anus, and they come in both internal and external forms. They can cause itching, irritation, bleeding, and in some cases, require surgery to remove.
