Can a Bidet Cause Hemorrhoids? Your Questions Answered.

No, using a bidet does not cause hemorrhoids. There is no medical evidence linking bidet use to hemorrhoid development, and many doctors recommend bidets because the gentle water cleanse is easier on already irritated tissue than dry toilet paper.

Hemorrhoids are actually caused by increased pressure in the anorectal blood vessels from straining, chronic diarrhea, obesity, aging, pregnancy, or heavy lifting, not from bidet use.

What Exactly Are Hemorrhoids?

Hemorrhoids are swollen veins in the anus or lower rectum, and they are uncomfortable at best and dangerous at worst.

Not only are they itchy, painful, and prone to bleeding, but hemorrhoids can also be embarrassing to talk about.

If you’re one of the many people who will encounter this frequent yet unfortunate pain in the butt, you’re probably looking for answers on how to get some relief without asking your pickleball partner for advice.

Luckily, we love all things bidets, including the discussions about bathroom behavior that come with them. With the bidet’s current rise in popularity, it’s worth looking at the relationship between hemorrhoids and bidets.

Bidets and Hemorrhoids: What’s the Relationship?

So can a bidet cause hemorrhoids? The truth is that the medical community hasn’t quite pinpointed what causes hemorrhoids.

We do know that they can develop with increased anorectal pressure in the blood vessels in and around your anus, which causes them to become swollen and inflamed.

There are several contributing factors that increase pressure and the risk of developing hemorrhoids (spoiler alert: using a bidet isn’t one of them). Some of these include:

• Sitting too long or straining on the toilet
• Chronic diarrhea
• Obesity
• Aging because as you get older, your body's supporting tissues get weaker
• Pregnancy, which can place increased pressure on your pelvic blood vessels
• Regularly lifting heavy objects

So, do bidets cause hemorrhoids?

No, there is no evidence to suggest that using a bidet can cause hemorrhoids. In fact, bidets are good for hemorrhoids because they help soothe irritation and could help to prevent them from forming.

Plus, since water is much softer on hemorrhoids than dry toilet paper or moist wipes, bidet toilet use may also be associated with a lower risk of anal fissures. Anal fissures are small tears in the lining of the anus, and they can be a common complication of hemorrhoids.

Are Bidets Safe for Hemorrhoids?

If bidets don't cause hemorrhoids, why is there a misconception that bidets are bad for hemorrhoids in some way? Can a bidet be harmful?

The short answer is no. Bidets are safe for hemorrhoids when used correctly and won’t harm or inflame the anal area.

But let’s break down why some people still think that bidets could cause more harm than good.

One common myth is that bidets can exacerbate hemorrhoids with forceful water pressure. However, there’s no evidence to suggest this is true.

Bidets are designed with adjustable water pressure settings that allow you to customize the water flow to whatever level feels most comfortable for you. Users often report that hemorrhoids actually feel better when using a bidet.

Self-Cleaning and Sterilizing Bidets

Even so, the thought of spraying water on these irritated, sensitive areas might make you pause. Especially if you are experiencing bleeding, you may wonder: can using a bidet cause infection?

Don’t worry. Get the thought of dirty toilet water out of your head. Bidets only use clean water. They are hooked up to your home water supply, not your toilet tank.

For more information about how and where bidets get their water from, you can read our article about that here.

So as long as the bidet nozzle is cleaned somewhat regularly, there is practically no risk of infection.

Even though bidets use clean water to wash your sensitive areas, some bidet seats even have their own way of sterilizing the water before it ever touches your body.

The Eco-Nova bidet seat, for example, uses silver nanotechnology to sterilize the bidet wash water using trace amounts of silver. The Eco-Nova also uses UV rays to sterilize the bidet wand and nozzles before and after each use. Pretty cool, huh?

How Does Using a Bidet Help With Hemorrhoids?

We’ve seen that bidets won’t cause or aggravate hemorrhoids, but how exactly can bidets help with hemorrhoids?

First, let's look at an overview of bidets. There are various types of bidets, including bidet attachments, bidet toilet seats, and integrated bidet toilets, like the popular TOTO Neorest series.

While each type of bidet has its own set of benefits and features, they all have the same function: to clean and refresh the genital and anal areas with water after using the toilet.

It’s easy to imagine how a spray of water can feel refreshing if you’re feeling itchy or swollen. Water soothes inflamed hemorrhoids with gentle bum-cleaning power.

Sitz Bath

A sitz bath can be a helpful way to relieve pain associated with hemorrhoids.

The Ultra-NOVA bidet seat actually has a sitz bath mode, which alternates between cold and warm water washes, stimulating blood flow and reducing pain and inflammation.

Warm Water

Water also helps remove any remaining stool or bacteria from your backside. Better hygiene reduces the risk of infection by maintaining a healthier anal area overall.

In addition to offering the convenience and comfort of a warm water wash, other benefits of using a bidet or bidet attachments for hemorrhoids include:

• Heated seat to ease discomfort
• Superior cleansing to promote healing
• Air dry modes to reduce the need to wipe with toilet paper

Enema Wash

One medical study even found that shooting bidet water in the anus stimulated the bowels, making it easier and more comfortable to have a movement.

They concluded that providing water flow to the anal region via bidet enema wash can reduce the severity of constipation, one of the root causes of hemorrhoids.

Better hygiene, less irritation, and more comfortable bowel movements? Thanks, bidet.

Is It Safe to Use a Bidet Toilet as an Enema?

Less time (and less straining) on the toilet is one of the top reasons why bidets can help with hemorrhoids.

But is it safe to use a bidet toilet as an enema?

Yes, it is. Just make sure you follow a few important tips to minimize any potential risks.

1. Sanitize the bidet: Properly clean and sanitize it to remove bacteria or pathogens.
2. Find the right water pressure: When using a bidet for an enema, use gentle, controlled water flow.
3. Don’t overdo it: Overuse may disrupt your body’s electrolyte balance.

A few bidets we sell offer the enema wash feature, and our top pick would be the Ultra-NOVA.

Another bidet seat we offer with an enema wash mode is the Lotus ATS-2000.

For a full view of all the bidets we sell that have an enema wash feature, click here.

Other Tips for Preventing and Relieving Hemorrhoids

Want to do more to relieve your symptoms? There are lifestyle changes you can make to prevent hemorrhoids from forming in the first place. In addition to using a bidet, there are a number of other things to try. These include:

• Eating a high-fiber diet

• Drinking plenty of fluids

• Avoiding straining during bowel movements

• Using over-the-counter pain relievers or topical creams

• Applying a warm compress to the affected area

• Getting regular exercise to improve blood flow

Final Thoughts

Whether you have hemorrhoids or not, bidets are a helpful way to clean the anal area after a bowel movement. Despite some misconceptions, bidets do not cause or irritate hemorrhoids.

The use of water feels good and helps wash away bacteria without wiping over and over again with toilet paper, which is especially important when experiencing painful and itchy symptoms.

If you are prone to hemorrhoids or are currently dealing with them, you may want to incorporate a bidet into your bathroom routine for a more refreshing and soothing experience. Using gentle warm water with adjustable water pressure to rinse off rather than irritating your skin further can make a big difference in recovery and long-term symptom maintenance.

Overall, our pick for the best bidet for hemorrhoids would have to be the brand-new Ultra-NOVA bidet seat.

With its sitz bath and enema wash functions, plus heated seats and customizable water pressure settings, the Ultra-NOVA is uniquely qualified to handle any hemorrhoid-related issues.

We hope we’ve answered whether or not a bidet can cause hemorrhoids. Let us know in the comments if you have any other recommendations as to how to deal with hemorrhoids, and if you think bidets are helpful or not with this annoying anal issue.