Dr. Alberto Saita, urologist at Humanitas, explains that renal colic is a symptom of a well-characterized disease known as kidney stones. Typically it occurs with a pain that originates in the lumbar region, close to the spine and radiates to the level of the scrotal sac in the male or the labia majora in women.
What to do when you have renal colic
It is important to differentiate the diagnosis from other diseases that can cause the same intense pain. The most typical among these are lumbago and herniated disc, which manifest themselves in the same way. Additionally other abdominal disorders such as appendicitis or ovarian torsion in the woman can cause similar pain. It is important therefore, especially in the first case to visit immediately the emergency room or request a review by the family doctor.
How intense is renal colic pain, and how is it treated?
Usually the pain is very strong or, as patients explain, “unforgettable”. Therefore in case of relapse the patient is able to self-diagnosis.
The first step is basically analgesics, exclusively aimed to cure the pain. Then you can start a diagnostic procedure used to rule out other sources of the disease and at the same time take care of the cause.
During this process, images are acquired with ultrasound, and tomography as well as other techniques as the basis of diagnosis.
