Did you know? Smart phone use can cause hemorrhoids

Nowadays it seems everyone is on their smartphone most of the time. In fact, 2/3 of people in a recent survey use their smartphones while sitting on the toilet. Toilet-seated smartphone users were on average younger than non-smartphone users. While seated in the bathroom, half of smartphone users were reading “news,” and 4 out of ten were following “social media.”

 (Does that make you wonder what the tenth person was looking at?)

The September 2025 study of 125 adults undergoing endoscopic colonoscopy diagnosed 43% with hemorrhoids. The hemorrhoid and non-hemorrhoid groups were compared on a number of variables. 

Smartphone users in this study spent much longer on the toilet than did non-users. Almost 40% of those looking at their phones spent over 5 minutes in a seated position, whereas only 7% of non-users spent that long on the porcelain throne.  

After adjusting for other variables such as age, gender, BMI, level of exercising, fiber intake and straining to have a bowel movement, researchers found that smartphone users had a 46% higher risk of having hemorrhoids than did non-users.

If you routinely take your smartphone into the bathroom with you, you’ve been warned!

 

Read the research report here: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0329983

Displays and Exhibits for Healthinfo Island for December 2025

You can teleport to any of the eight displays and exhibits using the Second Life SLURLs in this posting. In Second Life, click on the poster with the same name as the title of the poster set, and you will get a notecard that contains all the text of the posters plus descriptions of the images.  If you click each poster, you will get a private message with additional information and live links.

Constipation
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/195/158/22

Cough! Wheeze! It's Bronchitis
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/188/181/24

Caffeine!!! Benefits and Risks
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/172/155/22

Mucus
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/114/79/24

Disability Employment Myths
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/98/40/26

Bad Breath
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/50/28/28

Messages From Your "Cogfog"
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/24/23/30

Autonomic Dysreflexia
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/21/63/32 

How to Deal with Holiday Stress

 

The fall and winter holiday season can be particularly stressful. There’s the shopping, extra cooking, guests, severe weather, strained budgets, overall chaos… and all while you are supposed to be cheerful, happy and jolly. What are some ways to handle holiday stress?

 

 

One important strategy is to avoid stress as much as possible by making holiday plans in advance. Think back to previous years. What was causing your holiday stress? What could you do to prevent those troubles this year?

Plan early, make a list of what has to be done when, and consult it often. View the holiday months as a challenge, not a threat. Expect the unexpected, so allow yourself some flexibility in your plan.

Focus on the positives when things don’t go as you had hoped. Deep breathing can help you remain calm, especially when combined with an affirmation statement. Try saying to yourself “I inhale calm. I exhale stress.” as you breathe slowly in, then out. Other good two-part affirmations are “I do my best, one step at a time.” and “I forgive myself and others. I release the past.”

Having available strategies for dealing with the stress of the holiday season will help you stay healthier and allow you to enjoy this time of year. Here are some articles that might offer additional stress-busting strategies:

• 9 tips to fend off holiday stress

• Coping with Holiday Stress

• 7 Tips to Help with Holiday Stress

• The Holiday Blues: A Public Health Perspective

Fall is Road Trip Season

Whether you are going leaf peeping or visiting family for the fall holidays, you may be thinking about an extended road trip. If you are traveling as or with a person with a disability, here are a few tips to make road trips less hassle and more fun. 

• Map your routes. Consider ensuring plenty of places to stop and stretch your legs, such as scenic overlooks or small towns with central parks. Be sure you know where rest stops and other restrooms are located.

• Reserve lodging in advance if you will need it. Be sure to ask the reservationist about accessibility of rooms, parking and other facilities.

• Check the weather report for the location you are headed to, and find out the sundown time. Since fall afternoons are sorter, you will want to leave enough time to drive to your destination while it is still light out. It’s dangerous to drive unfamiliar roads as daylight fades into night.

• Bring extra layers, just in case. You may need rain gear, a sweatshirt, or a blanket to cover up.

• Don’t forget medical and hygiene supplies and mobility gear. Pack them where they are easily accessible.

 

Have a great time exploring the autumn beauty all the way to your road trip destination and back.