Here’s why you should stop taking your phone to the loo

Loo time was once considered “me time”, but that has also been taken over by our mobile phones. What’s important to remember is that taking your phone to the loo can make you really sick. Here’s why.
phone in the toilet
Make your toilet a no-phone zone. Image courtesy: Shutterstock
Nikita Bhardwaj Updated: 12 Jan 2021, 18:08 pm IST
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Ladies, if you have a healthy gut, it takes five to 10 minutes to poop. You may be wondering why we’ve brought this up. Well, because we stay in the loo for an average of 20-30 minutes. Because even after we’re done with our business, we spend time scrolling on our mobile phones! 

You must be wondering what’s the big deal? But what if we tell you that taking your phone to the loo is the biggest health mistake that you’re committing. You know why? Because it can lead to health hazards. Yes, it’s true.

Basically, when you take your phone to the loo, you spend more time there, and expose yourself to germs. 

According to Dr RP Venkata Krishnan, senior consultant (Internal Medicine) at Paras Hospitals, Gurgaon, most of us take our phones to the toilet to avoid missing out on important texts, mails, or calls. He adds that our day starts with checking our mails, texts, and social media accounts, and we don’t want to miss out on that for even a single minute.

Well, we are playing with our health. How? Dr Krishnan has listed eight hazards that are caused by using your phone in the loo. 

1. It can lead to UTI

If you take your cell phone to the toilet, there are chances that your phone gets covered in germs. There are germs everywhere in your loo, be it your toilet seat, paper roll or even the door knob. So, you can get diarrhea, intestinal illnesses, and urinary tract infections etc.

phone in toilet
Don’t let UTI haunt you. Image courtesy: Shutterstock
2. Your mobile can become a carrier of germs

Also, when you get out of the washroom, your mobile carries the germs and that can be passed on to others, whether it’s at home or work. If you put your phone somewhere or show something to someone, and boom! You carry forward the germs.

3. Using mobile in the toilet can disrupt your poop

Using your phone in the toilet can meddle with your body response to stools. You should not sit in the toilet for more than 10 minutes, but with a cell phone in your hand, the time can extend to 20-30 minutes, which can create problems in your pooping process.

4. It can make you constipated

This can also cause constipation, as your body becomes accustomed to working with a very long and unnatural timeframe in the bathroom.

5. It can lead to hemorrhoids

Also, your casual 30-minute time in the washroom can lead to hemorrhoids, as the body gets confused and becomes accustomed to long sessions in the bathroom. Hemorrhoids are basically inflamed veins near your anal area that can bleed, and can feel super itchy and painful.

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6. It can stress you

Your time in the toilet is sometimes the only time when you take a break from your work and busy life. When you take your phone with you, you miss giving a break to your brain. You are always consuming information, and that can stress you.

phone in toilet
Put your phone down otherwise get ready for a dose of stress. Image courtesy: Shutterstock
7. You end up wasting time

Most of us think that we save our time by taking the phone to the washroom, but it is actually a waste of time. What can be done in five minutes takes more time to do. Also, if you take five minutes to pee or poop, you take much longer when you have your phone with you.

8. You might lose your phone and all the important information

If you take your mobile to the loo, then you can’t deny the chances of it getting dropped in the pot. And if it does, then you can lose access to important calls, texts, emails, saved information, etc. as your phone will be dead.

So ladies, a loo break is a must, but give a break to your phone.

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About the Author

Six-pack abs are all that Nikita needs, along with her daily dose of green tea. At Health Shots, she produces videos, podcasts, stories, and other kick-ass content. ...Read More

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