A qualified doctor has warned that spending too much time sitting on the toilet is bad for you and could put you in a position requiring surgery.
Dr Karan Rajan, an NHS surgeon who has racked up almost four million followers on TikTok with his informative videos, spoke about the most common toilet mistakes most of us are making - and the damage it can do overtime.
The top doctor said: "Number one, straining. Fun fact, everyone has anal cushions. These are there to stop us pooing ourselves and they also contain blood vessels.
"But if you keep straining on the toilet these blood vessels could swell up and cause haemorrhoids."
In the video that has since been viewed more than one million times, Dr Rajan reveals the dangers of "sitting for more than ten minutes", as he tells viewers: "The longer you spend on the throne, the more pressure is put on the rectal veins.
"These can swell up and cause haemorrhoids – which can cause pain, itching and bleeding."
So best not to bring your phone into the bathroom with you to avoid wasting too much time on the toilet.
Next, Dr Rajan says you need to "stop straining" as it can damage the delicate area.
He said: "Straining can cause hard stools to tear the lining of your anus leading to anal fissures.
"It can also cause pelvic floor muscles to weaken leading to incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse."
Lastly, Dr Rajan warns people to be careful when they're wiping... down there.
"Aggressive wiping," he says.
Dr Rajan adds: "You’re wiping your buttcrack aggressively like you’re polishing a trophy.
"This is gonna leave you with cracked, dry skin and itchy butt, known as pruritus ani."
Since being posted, the video has racked up more than 105,000 likes and 1,600 comments from stunned viewers, many of which admitted to spending too much time on the loo.
One person said: "Ten mins, I’m there for ages on TikTok or Youtube."
The doctor assured his followers that spending ten minutes on the loo from time to time is okay if you need to, "but it shouldn’t be the norm!"
Another commented: "Take note all people (mostly men) who sit on the throne for 40+ minutes!"
A third also asked: "Real question, why does sitting on the toilet put pressure on the veins but not sitting eight hours a day in my office chair," to which Dr Raj replied saying: "People sit in chairs differently and not with their bum hanging lower than the rest of their body."
Whilst a fourth said: "Me sitting for three hours at a time."
