Doing this on the toilet raises your risk of hemorrhoids by 46% — too bad two-thirds of people do it

Total bum-mer!

Hemorrhoids are swollen veins in or around the rectum and anus. They can cause pain, itching and bleeding, even as they typically clear up on their own.

This frustrating condition affects about half of US adults over 50, sending nearly 4 million Americans to the doctor or ER each year.

A new study reports that a common toilet habit can raise the risk of hemorrhoids by 46%. Sorry, textaholics, it’s time to drop the phone — just not in the bowl!

“We’re still uncovering the many ways smartphones and our modern way of life impact our health,” said senior study author Dr. Trisha Pasricha.

“It’s possible that how and where we use them — such as while in the bathroom — can have unintended consequences,” she added.

Pasricha’s team from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston had 125 adults undergoing a colonoscopy answer online survey questions about their lifestyle and toilet behavior.

Some 66% admitted to being in commode mode — 37% of these data dumpers spent more than five minutes at a time on their perch, compared to just 7.1% of non-butt dialers.

The researchers suggested that texting on the throne may inadvertently prolong toilet time, increasing pressure in anal and rectal tissues and potentially causing veins to swell and stretch.

“This study bolsters advice to people in general to leave the smartphones outside the bathroom and to try to spend no more than a few minutes to have a bowel movement,” Pasricha said.

“If it’s taking longer, ask yourself why,” she continued. “Was it because having a bowel movement was really so difficult, or was it because my focus was elsewhere?”

The findings were published Wednesday in the journal PLOS One.

Notably, the researchers determined that straining on the toilet did not increase hemorrhoid risk, a distinction from prior research.

Other potential causes of hemorrhoids include constipation, heavy lifting, pregnancy, genetics, obesity and weakened veins from aging.

The study authors are calling for further research that tracks patients over time and tests strategies to limit stall service.

Experts have suggested a variety of ways to tamp down “TikTok tush,” including the “10-15” rule.

“I would generally recommend trying to limit bowel movements to 10-15 minutes at most to reduce the risk of hemorrhoids,” Dr. David L. Schwarzbaum, a gastroenterologist based on Long Island, told HuffPost.

“If you need a break from the rest of the world, sit on top of the toilet seat.”