Renal colic

Renal colic
ICD-10	N23.
ICD-9	788.0
DiseasesDB	26026

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Editor-In-Chief: Steven C. Campbell, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Surgery, Residency Program Director, Section of Urologic Oncology, Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute, Cleveland Clinic. You can email Dr. Campbell by clicking here. Office phone: 216-444-5595., Assistant Editor-in-Chief: Soumya Sachdeva

Overview

Renal colic is a type of pain commonly caused by kidney stones or accumulation of crystals. These kidney stones cause interference with the flow of urine and the kidney may swell up causing pain (colic).

The pain typically begins in the kidney area or below it and radiates through the flank until it reaches the bladder. The pain is colicky in nature, meaning that it comes on in spasmodic waves as opposed to being a steady continuous pain. It may come in two varieties: dull and acute; the acute variation is particularly unpleasant and has been described as one of the strongest pain sensations felt by humans.[1]

Depending on the type and sizes of the kidney stones moving through the urinal tract the pain may be stronger in the renal or bladder area or equally strong in both.

Causes

1. The most common reason of them all is lack of water in the body. The kidneys are designed to dispose waste in regular intervals. When there is not enough water in the body to excrete in the form of urine, the kidneys use the existing level of water and use it as a medium to dispose the waste, thus the urine becomes concentrated predisposing to the formation of kidney stones.

2. As a result of frequent urinary tract problems also, the most common found to be urinary tract infection.

Treatment and Prognosis

Most small stones are passed spontaneously and only pain management is required. For this type of pain, strong Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) such as Diclofenac provide better pain relief than opiates. Lying down on the non-aching side and applying a hot bottle or towel to the area affected may help. If the pain is not too intense, a more speedy release of the stones may be achieved by walking.

Larger stones may require intervention for their removal.

See Also

• Kidney stones