Renal colic is pain caused by kidney stones that dislodges from the kidney and travels through urinary tract. It is termed colic because the pain felt comes in series of waves as opposed to continuous pain. The pain felt from renal colic is reported to be one of the most excruciating pains most people have ever felt.
There are many symptoms of renal colic and it is easy to confuse other medical complications with renal colic. If you suspect yourself or anyone close to you suffering from renal colic, you should seek medical help immediately. Renal colic will almost always cause the patient to experience intense pain.
If the kidney stone is tiny as a grain of sand, the person may only suffer a dull pain that shoots out from lumbar region to abdominal that are intermittent. Often the onset of pain is accompanied by nausea and/or vomiting. You may also notice blood in urine as well as abdomen becoming bloated and swollen. Sometimes the pain may be absent and frequent urination is the only sign of kidney stones passing through the urinary tract.
With larger kidney stones, the patient will suffer acute renal colic with several waves of pain that originates from the back to the torso, genitals and thigh. In some cases, kidney stone can become lodged in parts of urinary tract instead of passing through it with urine. This can block the passage of urine and cause infection. When chills and fever are present with the renal colic pain, it is almost always the sign of an infection. Surgery is almost always necessary in this case.
During the onset and after the bout of renal colic, large amount of fluid consumption is highly recommended to aid kidney stones pass through the urinary tract. Often, renal colic resolve on their own as kidney stones naturally pass through the urinary tract and discharged with urine. Mild pain associated with renal colic can be remedied by applying warm towel or water bottle on the affected area. If renal colic becomes a chronic problem, it's important to consult with the doctor to figure out the underlying cause of it. |
|