According to a recent survey in the UK, it was found that on average, in a week, Brits spend three and a half hours sitting on the toilet.
Nowadays, many people spend a lot of time sitting in the toilet, as this place tends to provide some kind of refuge from the commotion of everyday life. So, while pooping and attending to nature’s call, people sit on the throne to either surf through their phones, play games, or read books.
Topps Tiles, the UK’s tile specialists have discovered that the average person spends five minutes on the toilet at one time and visits the bathroom between four and seven times during the day, The Sun reports.
The use of mobile phones in the toilet is reportedly the reason for this.
Also, apparently, 72% of people take their mobile phone to the toilet with them, to either watch videos, respond to messages from friends or find a date, which is in the case of a quarter of men.
However, according to medical experts, it is not advisable to spend more than 10 minutes in the toilet – the lesser the better.
Apparently, spending too long in the toilet with your phone makes your phone vulnerable to 18 times more germs, an earlier report in the Times of India informs.
In fact, studies have revealed that 1 in 6 phones was actually found to have traces of fecal matter on their surface, without the person being aware of it.
Additionally, health and wellbeing expert Stephanie Taylor, founder of StressNoMore, is reported to have said, “While you might enjoy sitting on the toilet, reading the newspaper or scrolling through social media, this could be damaging your rectum.
“When you sit there, with your anus at a different level than the rest of your bottom half.
“This puts extra pressure on the veins in your lower rectum, which could eventually lead to haemorrhoids that can be uncomfortable and result in rectal bleeding.”
Often called piles, haemorrhoids can be very painful.
The NHS informs that piles are lumps inside and around your bottom (anus).
The lumps are actually swollen blood vessels that usually clear up on their own. However, sometimes they may require medical attention if they become chronic.
Experts warn that if you notice you need to frequently use the toilet, stay on the toilet for longer, and if your poo is more runny than usual, you should not take this lightly, as it could be a sign of something more serious like bowel cancer.
In the UK, bowel cancer is the second deadliest cancer and tragically, it claims 16,000 lives a year.
Here are the five red-flag symptoms of bowel cancer to look out for:
1. Bleeding from the rectum, or blood in poo
2. A change in normal toilet habits like going more frequently
3. Pain or a lump in the stomach
4. Extreme tiredness
5. Losing weight
Some other signs of bowel cancer include the following:
• Gripping pains in the stomach
• Bloated feeling
• Being sick
• Constipation and not being able to pass wind
• A need to strain like doing a number two but after you've already been to the toilet.
The NHS advises seeing a GP if these symptoms are present for three weeks or more.
However, most people with these symptoms don’t actually have the disease and for example, it could be piles or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
But the NHS advises that symptoms should be “taken more seriously as you get older.”
Also, Bowel Cancer UK states that more young people should be made aware of this disease as many don’t even know the signs of bowel cancer.
And, even if they do meet their GP, one in three ends up delaying their appointments for three months. But the charity is of the opinion that further tests without unnecessary delay should be referred for such people.
