A very strong pain, which patients often report as unbearable, characterizes the renal colic. As Dr. Alberto Saita, urologist at the Operating Unit of Urology at Humanitas explains, renal colic is the symptom par excellence of urinary calculus or urolithiasis.
Pain originates from the lumbar region and the back and it can reach the scrotal area in men or large lips in women. Usually, painful symptoms are so intense that patients struggle to endure them and define it as “unbearable”.
What to do in case of colic?
If you are suddenly affected by this type of pain, especially if it is the first time it occurs, you should go to emergency room or consult your family doctor.
It is essential to make the correct diagnosis, distinguishing colic from any other pathologies that present a similar pain, such as low back pain, hernias of the disc, appendix-related conditions or a twist of the ovarian tube in women.
To determine a diagnosis, the specialist generally uses diagnostic imaging techniques, initially subjecting the patient to ultrasound. Furthermore, the doctor may also suggest performing a CT or other analysis if necessary. These tests may detect the presence of a calculi and thus confirm colic as a symptom of urinary calculus.
Finally, in case of recurrence patients are often able to recognize colic and proceed with analgesic therapy, which helps to relieve the pain.
