The theory, dating back to a 1974 study, is that prolonged toilet sitting during which the anus is relaxed, followed by repeated straining, irritates the tissues surrounding the rectum that help control bowel movements, called anal cushions. This can lead to hemorrhoids, or inflamed veins in this area.
A study published in The Lancet
in 1989 reported that patients with hemorrhoids were more than twice
likely to read on the toilet. A study from 1995 in the journal Colon
& Rectum found that 40 percent of patients with benign anorectal
disease read on the toilet. And a 2009 study published in
Neurogastroenterology & Motility also found hemorrhoids sufferers
more likely to be toilet readers.
What's not clear, however, is whether prolonged toilet sitting causes hemorrhoids, or is the result of this. To me, reading (now on mobile device in addition to books or magazines) is a necessary condition to facilitate solid waste generation. The toilet has always been a private, quiet, and peaceful place to read. Growing up as a middle kid sharing a bedroom with other siblings, the toilet is the only place I can close the door and be alone, lost in a book. My parents used to say that I studied history on the toilet. 讀史書, is a pun because the middle word has the same pronunciation in Cantonese as poo. When I did not reduce my time spent in response to the teasing, mom got serious and told me about hemorrhoids resulting from too much toilet sitting.
Mom is a genius!
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