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 in Humanitas explains, renal colic is the most characteristic symptom of urinary or urolithiasis calcifications.
Pain originates from the lumbar region and the back and it can reach the scrotal sack 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 characteristic pain, especially if it is the first time you should go to the emergency room or consult your family doctor.
It is in fact 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 in the case of women, twist of the fallopian tubes.
For diagnosis, the specialist generally uses imaging diagnostics, initially subjecting the patient to ultrasound; if he or she deems it appropriate, the doctor will also suggest performing a CT scan or other analysis. These tests may detect the presence of a calcification and thus confirm colic as a symptom of urinary stones.
In case of recurrence, however, patients are often able to recognize colic and proceed with analgesic therapy, which helps relieve the pain.
