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Colic & Kidney Stones

Renal colic is the name given to the severe abdominal pain caused by the presence of one or more kidney stones. Kidney stones form within the kidney within the ureter (the tube which drains urine from the kidney), they can also form in the bladder. Kidney stones come in all shapes and sizes; they can be tiny crystals or the size of golf balls.

  1. Symptoms

    • In some cases a kidney stone can exist without causing any problems or symptoms. However, in many cases, kidney stones can be extremely troublesome. A stone stuck in the kidney may cause abdominal pain and renal colic. Renal colic is a severe pain which comes and goes. It is caused by a stone that enters the ureta, the stone gets stuck and the ureta squeezes the stone towards the bladder causing the intense pain. This pain may spread to the lower abdomen and groin as the stone moves through the ureta. Another symptom of kidney stones is blood in the urine caused by a stone cutting the inside of the ureter. Also urine infections are more common for people with kidney stones.

    How Common are Kidney Stones?

    • Approximately 3 in 20 men and 1 in 20 women suffer from kidney stones at some stage in their life. Kidney stones can occur at any age but are more common between the ages of 20 and 40. Half of the people who develop a kidney stone will do so again at some point in the future.

    Formation

    • The kidneys are the organs which filter the blood and remove excess waste and water, producing urine. The urine travels from the kidney to the bladder via the ureter. The waste chemicals in the urine can sometimes clump together and form kidney stones.

    Treatment

    • Most kidney stones that cause renal colic are small and simply pass out of the body with the urine. Drinking plenty of water can hasten this process. Strong painkillers are often used to quell the pain until the stone is passed. In some case where a stone becomes stuck in the ureter or kidney and symptoms persist, medical treatment is required. Treatments include extracorporeal shock lithotripsy (high energy shock waves are focused on the stone from outside the body to break up the stone); Ureteroscopy (where a thin telescope is passed into the ureter via the urethra and bladder to locate the stone and then a laser is used to break it up); or a stone can be removed via a traditional operation where access to the ureter and kidney is obtained via incision.

    Prevention

    • If you have already suffered from kidney stones, you are less likely to suffer a recurrence if you regularly drink large quantities of water; between 2 and 3 liters a day is recommended.

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