Many people feel more active and creative while sitting in the toilet. And with smartphones being an intrinsic part of your lives, most take their phones along during their morning trip to the loss. However, according to experts, it is the worst habit as it can take a toll on your overall health.

Doctors say taking your phone to the washroom - a lot of harmful things happen – beginning with pathogens like bacteria and viruses. Using a phone in the bathroom only adds to the contamination – which causes life-threatening illnesses like stomach bugs.

Not just this, there is another potential risk which is cross-contamination – which means when you use your phone in the toilet and then touch the flush handle without washing your hands properly you can transfer fecal matter and bacteria onto these surfaces which causes viral coughs and colds.

Phones in the bathrooms lead to germs that can cause the following health issues:

Also known as hemorrhoids, piles are inflamed veins in your anus and lower rectum. These are similar to varicose veins and develop inside the rectum – known as internal hemorrhoids. Piles usually develop under the skin around the anus.

According to doctors, prolonged sitting on the toilet leads to excessive pressure on the rectal veins causing hemorrhoids. Even though your body’s natural position for bowel movements is to be fast, distractions from mobile phones can delay the process.

Experts say prolonged usage of mobile phones in the bathroom diverts your attention from the natural functions – leading to irregular bowel movements and even constipation - a bowel dysfunction that occurs when you have infrequent or difficult bowel movements. The symptoms of constipation include hard or dry stool, abdominal pain or bloating, and feeling like you have not completely passed stool.

Want to avoid butt pain and bacterial grossness? Doctors suggest you be a bit more mindful about your bathroom time. First, you should sit on the toilet for as long as you have an actual urge.

You should spend anywhere from 1 to 15 minutes pooping and anything longer can indicate an issue with constipation. Avoid sitting and straining for long periods of time. If you get distracted, try setting a timer so you’ll know when to get up and move on if nothing has moved.

Also, make sure to wash your hands thoroughly after using the bathroom, not just after a bowel movement.

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