Leonardo da Vinci in his Codex Atlanticus said “Do not delay or prolong your visits to the lavatory”. Looks like that was some good advice.
There is a silly scene in a movie called ‘Liar Liar’ that I used to love as a kid about the importance of not delaying a visit; the underlying plot is that Fletcher (Jim Carrey) is unable to is lie following his son making a birthday wish.
Fletcher: Your honor, would the court be willing to grant me a short bathroom break?
Judge: Can't it wait?
Fletcher: Yes it can. But I've heard that if you hold it you could damage the prostate gland, making it very difficult to get an erection, or even become aroused!
Judge: Is that true?
Fletcher: It has to be!
Judge: In that case I'd better take a quick break myself.
Haemorrhoids are caused by too much straining, which is caused by bad posture during defecation. The closer you're to a squatting position, the less straining you need. Use a footrest to raise your leg (or as I call it: a stool stool, hehehe).
Two double shots of espresso and straining is a thing of the past, regardless of diet.
The toilet stool (Squatty Potty is probably the most well known brand name) is game changing. Highly recommend. That may be some of the lowest cost to benefit thing I've found for the home.
The only downside is that you'll miss it whenever nature calls outside the home.
> The only downside
well, that and taking it up to the cashier. :)
Man that and bidets have changed my life. But it makes leaving home that much more difficult.
Just leave for japan. It re-normalizes your view on toilets.
Plus one for bidets. What’s up with single ply being legal? Hurts so bad.
I actually prefer single-ply. I bunch it up (I'm not a folder) and it's far superior to that fluffy stuff that your fingers go right through and then sticks to your bum. Scott 1000-sheet + bidet + squatty potty is perfection to me.
Is it soft single ply? The stuff at the campground is so abrasive.
Wuss! Chuck Norris wipes his ass with sandpaper:
https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffab&q=sandpaper+on+a+toilet+roll&...
Just roll out a long strip and fold it twice, now you've got quad-ply. That’ll show em.
I’ve gone 16 ply and still ripped my bum!!
For those of you who never saw it - Squatty Potty’s hilarious commercial:
Eating well is a game changer
I bought the folding one and take it on trips, I'm totally shameless about it.
I'm curious, is sitting up with the feet propped up on a stool, any different from leaning over (elbows on knees), with the feet on the ground?
Before getting a squatty potty I would lean over and it seemed to help. The stool does seem to help a little bit more and it's more comfortable.
Yes. At least in hotels I'm usually able to repurpose the bathroom trashcan for this.
Platform shoes!
Also a bad diet or possibly poor hydration. Defecating should not require strain.
Also, agitating the area with dry wiping vs. the soothing waterbeam of a bidet.
I have not had to strain since using a bidet. It’s like magic.
Insufficient hot sauce is usually the culprit.
I've had constipation maybe twice in my life.
Learning to relax your pelvic floor is helpful too. You should be opening the door, not pushing things through it :)
There is no causal link here. It's merely associative - it could be that people with hemorrhoids spend more time on the toilet.
According to Wikipedia affluent people get more hemorrhoids, maybe they are sitting managing their money
>> There is no causal link here.
One already exists. Sitting vs hovering is already known to cause hemorrhoids. Using your phone probably increases sitting time.
Sitting in general causes hemorrhoids?
Definitely feels like a great Sim City 3000 news ticker item.
Recticulating rectum...
It's nice to see some proof but I really thought this was public knowledge? Maybe just learned from my experiences...
In my experience if I'm getting enough fiber I don't have that much time to scroll or read while on the toilet.
https://newatlas.com/health-wellbeing/toilet-smartphone-use-...
A better source for the info
As you would expect, it's about the time spent on the toilet. So using some anti addiction app, or not being addicted to your phone means you are good to go.
And sort out your IBS
This is more important than smart phone use, specifically after COVID.
"COVID-19 Pandemic Linked to Surge in Digestive Disorders"
https://www.cedars-sinai.org/newsroom/covid-19-pandemic-link...
Why do they link it to stress and not to the virus? Personally, I still deal with major digestive issues, primarily acid and silent reflux, after getting really sick from the second vaccination. (I'm not ruling out that I could have caught covid just before the vax, though my test was negative.) Prior to this, I was someone who had never once experienced reflux. Never took a Tums, etc. Now I'm on PPIs (Nexium basically), seemingly forever. What makes me think the symptoms are not due to anxiety is that they frequently hit me when my thoughts are elsewhere and not stressed or I'm asleep.
>a Tums, etc
not all antacids are the same, so I reach for your "etc" instead of the Tum. the liquid antacids that contain an aluminum compound active ingredient (in the US, Mylanta and Maalox and buy the store brand anyway, always liquid tho) provide a pH buffer, which is to say they "calibrate" their effect to the scale of the problem at the moment and the effect lasts longer than simply neutralizing acid with a base. I find this is the superior middle way.
PPIs? I really liked zantac's "ranitidine" ingredient which got banned for some infinitesimal risk of cancer. great product. I do not like the way these others leave my tummy feeling (or... is that the cancer? :)
>Why do they link it to stress and not to the virus?
how about, risks from the vaccines were ignored as possible confounding factors and presto, a mystery condition emerges which can only be attributed to the time period
I mean, people have been saying related things for years.
Way before the smartphone (we're talking 80s and 90s), if I would go to the bathroom with a book my parents would warn me (perhaps old wives tale, perhaps relatedly bad studies such as this?) that sitting on the toilet too long could give me hemorrhoids.
Driving F1 cars or flying fighter jets may also give you hemorrhoids.
Maybe this is naive, but what if you just shat standing up?
The squat (aka primal or Asian squat) would be better than sitting or standing to poo.
There is a lot of research on this... If you do sit, it helps to bring your knees up closer to your chest. You can buy devices to help do this... The Squatty Potty for example. Basically, things are better aligned (for sitters) when your knees or hips are bent deeply.
Other research shows the Thinker Position Statue is as ideal as the squat for pooping ease (if you are a sitter).
You'll need to wash your legs after.
My buddy's 2yo proved that to me.
To be fair to him, at least he removed his diapers first. He was on the way to proper potty procedures!
True maverick
You go first.
alright who laid out a big ole fudge dragon in the urinal for the whole world to see mmkay?
Try and let us know who it went out
Who? Probably the dude making the shit.
This does not mean using you smartphone on the toilet causes hemorrhoids at all. It is more likely that people with constipation know they will be in the bathroom longer so they bring their smartphones, and constipation IS the leading cause of hemorrhoids. Correlation is not causation.
Another trash conclusion from a trash study.
Fwiw, the two feed into each other. I read this same thing somewhere else before and have since tried to not take my phone with me into the bathroom. I started doing that because I would take a lot of time in there. But once I have my phone, if I start reading something a bit too long, I could easily spend 20 mins in there before realising it.
And trash reporting for repeating it
Actually it does cause hemorrhoids.
The position of sitting in the toilet without support for the pelvic floor adds extra pressure to the related vein and vascularity, creating hemorrhoids.
This was discussed in r/science yesterday.
So, again: reading cellphones do not cause hemorrhoids. Staying too long on the toilet does.
My belief in "American Exceptionalism" was destroyed the moment that the powerful stream of water from the toilet bidet hit my rectum for the first time somewhere in South Korea.
We westerners are disgusting barbarians, and Hemorrhoids are usually evidence of that. Most Hemorrhoids that westerners have are due to either not cleaning their butts properly, or from straining too much due usually to bad diets (bidets also help eliminate this as water is a decent lubricant)
Yes to the "squatting is better" crowd but you notice that SK/Japan doesn't need or have squatting toilets en mass.
When the Japanese or South Koreans look at us with disdain because we literally walk around with shit in our pants 24/7, I don't blame them! They are right and we have a LOT to learn as westerners about being actually clean.
Western seated toilets are extremely inferior to Asian/Chinese squat toilets. It is a cultural disaster. Sitting on the toilet seat will lead to weakness of the pelvic floor, causing multiple types of bodily dysfunction and pain. The damage done accumulates over time with age and years of bad positioning. If you're not too heavy, just squat on your toilet seat at home, and wash off with a bidet/spray. If you can't squat, at least use a stool for the feet.
I'm not sure I understand correctly - are you suggesting that one stand atop the seat of the toilet and squat down?
No, it is not necessary to stand on it, and that would be utterly dangerous. Just squat on it directly, first one foot, then the other. Be careful when getting on and off it, using something for support if available. It is not for people with a weak balance. Position as forward as possible so you land correctly. It is a strange thing to have to do, but it will fix and prevent numerous associated issues.
It will lead to more splashing, so use the flush a lot more. It can also help to take a shower thereafter to keep the legs clean.
A side benefit is that no one will want to remain in this position any longer than necessary since it tires the feet, so you don't waste much more time than you need.
I agree at least with the statement that no one will want to be in this position.
You can just get a stool to put your feet up on, and get 90% of the benefit with 0% of the falling over/breaking toilet risk.
I have an appropriate stool, and have used and compared it over a lengthy period. The subjective benefit over time is not 90%; it is about 30%. When squatting, there is no risk of falling if one has normal balance and is not unwell. It is not for the inattentive person. It takes weeks or months of use to realize its pelvic benefits.
The risk of falling is highest when getting off the seat, at which time it helps to have a support to hold.
The correct solution would of course be to remove this toilet altogether, replacing it with a squat toilet.
The noted actions are not something that anyone will typically do until they feel they're out of options, but then it's a potential option.
Thanks. I've always wondered about that.
I worked in an office where someone was doing this. There was constantly shit on the toilet.
It is very inappropriate to do at a workplace toilet. If there is excrement on the toilet seat, they're not positioning themselves correctly, or are too large for the seat, and they don't care to cleanup either. Wearing shoes alone is a reason to not do it outside of home.
I do not understand why you are downvoted. My parents came from a country with squat toilets, so they taught me to squat on the toilet seat, and I have gone that way ever since I was toddler (except in public restrooms).