Doctors reveal the exact amount of time you can sit on the toilet before it becomes dangerous

Doctors have issued a warning that there's a certain amount of time you can sit on the toilet before it becomes dangerous.

You might think your bathroom habits are relatively normal and healthy.

Perhaps you go regularly and enjoy a moment's peace scrolling on your phone or reading a good book when nature calls.

However, we can apparently spend too long sat on the porcelain throne that can injure us in a myriad of ways.

A pelvic floor physiotherapist has warned 'excessively wiping' our behinds after a number two could pave the way for hemorrhoids - and we're also at risk of 'unnecessary' rectum kinks from the way we sit (which should be in a squat position, FYI).

Now, however, medics are sounding the alarm for toilet dwellers who doom-scroll on social media while passing a bowel movement.

Sitting on the toilet for too long can pose a health risk (Getty Images)

According to Dr Lai Xue, a colorectal surgeon at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, prolonged sitting on the loo can increase the risk of hemorrhoids and weaken the pelvic muscles, too.

The doctor said: "When patients present to me with complaints, one of the main areas we have to delve deeply into is spending a lot of time on the toilet," as per CNN.

Dr. Farah Monzur, an assistant professor of medicine and director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center at Stony Brook Medicine on Long Island, New York, has also revealed the sweet spot that we should spend pooping - which is between five to 10 minutes.

Staying longer than that is where the risk increases, as Dr Xue said gravity works rather unfavorably against us when in this vulnerable position.

The docs warn it could harm the pelvic floor (Getty Images)

That's because gravity forces the body to work harder to pump blood around, as the doc explains: "It becomes a one-way value where blood enters, but blood really can’t go back."

A consequence of this is that the veins and blood vessels around the anus and rectum become enlarged and swollen with blood, hiking the chance of hemorrhoids.

Straining doesn't help either as the pressure only allows the hemorrhoids to build.

Doctor Monzur says using cellphones doesn't help as they can become a distraction, leading us to losing track of time and straining the muscles for longer than needed.

As well as hemorrhoids, the doc says it can also prompt a rectal prolapse, when part of the large intestine comes falls down and bulges out of the anus.

Dr Xue added pelvic floor muscles are also adversely affected by prolonged toilet sitting, again due to gravity.

Medics say to avoid bringing the phone to the toilet with you (Getty Images)

"Nowadays, we’re seeing an increase in people passing more time on the toilet, and that is very much unhealthy for the anorectal organs and the pelvic floor,” the doc said.

“You don’t want to go with the mindset that you will be there for a long time. Because then you’ll want to bring something to keep the mind occupied,” Dr Monzur added. “Make sitting on the toilet bowl as uninteresting as possible.”

If nothing happens after 10 minutes, they say you're better off leaving it for now and walk around for a while, as this can provoke the gut muscles to make a bowel movement.

If that fails, water and eating something high in fiber like oats and beans can also get things moving.

However, if the issue is persistent, medics warn it could be a sign of gastrointestinal issues, such as irritable bowel syndrome or Crohn’s disease.