(CNN) – Spending too long on the toilet could be bad for your health.
Experts say you shouldn’t spend more than about ten minutes seated on the “throne”—the toilet, the head, or whatever you call it.
Sitting there for an extended stretch can make you more prone to hemorrhoids and to weak pelvic floor muscles, partly because the open toilet seat keeps the buttocks exposed and under pressure.
That’s because an open toilet seat compresses the buttocks.
This pressure affects blood flow and forces your body to work harder to push blood back toward the heart.
As a result, the blood vessels can enlarge and thicken, increasing the risk of hemorrhoids.
The strain from sitting for so long also tightens the pelvic floor muscles and raises the risk of rectal prolapse.
