Spending extended periods of time on the toilet, a common habit in the age of smartphones, can lead to serious health risks beyond the well-known issue of hemorrhoids. A growing number of cases are raising concerns among medical professionals, highlighting a potentially overlooked danger.
On February 4, neurologist Byung-Cheon Park, MD, warned about this risk in a TikTok video, explaining how prolonged sitting on the toilet can trigger severe medical emergencies. Dr. Park shared a case study, including a scan revealing a brain hemorrhage, to illustrate the potential consequences. “Sitting on the toilet for too long, then suddenly standing up, can cause you to faint and hit your head, leading to a brain hemorrhage or subdural hematoma,” he explained. “A 50-year-old male patient fainted after sitting on the toilet for 30 minutes and was hospitalized after hitting his head during the fall.”
Determining a specific timeframe for when the risk increases is complex, as it varies from person to person. Dr. Park noted that factors such as fluid intake, the state of the autonomic nervous system and overall physical condition influence the likelihood of experiencing vasovagal syncope. This phenomenon, medically known as postural hypotension and vasovagal syncope, can occur when sitting on the toilet for extended periods. Gravity causes blood to pool in the legs, and a sudden attempt to stand can momentarily reduce blood flow to the brain, leading to postural hypotension.
When What we have is combined with a temporary disruption in autonomic nervous system regulation, causing a rapid drop in blood pressure and heart rate – a condition called vasovagal syncope – the risk of fainting increases significantly. According to research, approximately 3% of adults will experience this at least once in their lifetime. This is generally not a heart problem, but rather a temporary imbalance in the autonomic nervous system that causes a decrease in heart rate and blood pressure.
