“It is very harmful for anorectal organs and the pelvic floor”.
The more you stay there, the more you damage your body without realizing it. According to a study by OpinionWay for the company of the outlets, the French spend an average of 45 minutes a day in the toilet (54 minutes for women against 36 minutes for men). For 50% of them, these toilet breaks represent real cuts in their day, which last a total of 30 minutes or more. One in five French people even declare spending more than an hour a day in the toilets. These figures are far too high compared to medical recommendations.
“When patients present themselves to me with complaints, one of the main subjects on which we have to lean is the time spent in the toilet” Share Dr. Lai Xue, colorectal surgeon in Dallas (USA), on CNN. A prolonged position in toilets is “Very harmful for anorectal organs and the pelvic floor”. It notably promotes hemorrhoids, because of gravity. The position taken in the toilet compresses the buttocks in the bowl, now the rectum lower than if you are seated on a chair. The severity then causes the pressure downwards which affects blood circulation and increases the dilation of the veins. “The blood enters but cannot go back” warns Dr. Xue.
“People who consult their phone in the toilet tend to waste the concept of time”, underlines Dr. Farah Monzur, specialist in digestive diseases in New York. Now by staying too long seated, we push more than necessary, which weakens the muscles and can cause a rectal prolapse (descent of the rectum by the anus). According to her, people should spend an average of 5 to 10 minutes in the toilet, no more.
“Do not leave by telling yourself that you will spend time there”, Continue Dr. Monzur. For her, the toilets should not become a place of distraction: no phone, no magazine. If after 10 minutes, nothing comes, it is better to get up and walk a little to restart the transit. Dr. Xue also insists on the importance of drinking enough – about 2.5 to 3 liters of water per day – and adopting a diet rich in fibers, found in fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains. “The fibers and the water soften the stool, thus making them easier to evacuate”, he recalls. In summary: the toilets are not a refuge or a break room. It is a place of passage.
