About this topic
Renal colic is very bad pain caused by kidney stones. Kidney stones are hard objects made from chemicals in the urine. Most often, small stones can move easily through the kidneys. Then, they go through tubes, called ureters, that connect to the bladder. Once in the bladder, the stones leave the body when you pass urine. But, when these kidney stones are too big or get stuck, a person can have bad pain in the back, lower belly, or groin. As the stones try to move down into the bladder and out of the body, they can cause nonstop pain or the pain may come and go. The pain can last for hours or for days until the stones pass out of the body. ‚
Stones can form in one or both kidneys and can be made of calcium, phosphate, oxalate, and other things. When the stones are large enough to prevent urine from leaving the body, they cause pain. ‚
View OriginalView Original
What care is needed at home?
Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do. ‚
If you have kidney stones, follow your doctors orders. You may also be asked to strain your urine to catch any stone. Care for renal colic includes: ‚
- Drink liquids often to flush your kidneys and avoid fluid loss.
- Lie on your side that does not hurt.
- Put heat on your belly.
- Take a warm bath.
If you cannot pass the kidney stone on your own, your doctor may want to: ‚
- Place a stent to go around the block and help with urine flow
- Crush the stone
- Remove the stone
You should start feeling better soon after a stone is passed or removed. ‚
What follow-up care is needed?
Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits. ‚
What drugs may be needed?
Your doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Help with pain
- Prevent or fight an infection
- Treat upset stomach and throwing up
- Relax the muscles in the urinary tract
What problems could happen?
Stones may lodge in the kidney itself or in the tubes that carry urine from the kidney to the bladder. This could cause: ‚
- Trouble passing urine
- Kidney infection which could get into the blood
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
It is hard to know when mores stones may form. This is why it is important to try to avoid them. Your doctor may ask you to do one or more of these: ‚
- Drink lots of liquids, mostly water.
- Avoid sugary drinks, coffee, and tea.
- Use less salt and eat less salty foods.
- Avoid a high protein diet.
- Talk with your doctor about a diet right for you. Based on your chance for getting kidney stones, you may need to limit or avoid certain types of foods and/or drinks. Talking to a dietician may help.
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of infection. These include fever of 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C) or higher, chills.
- Cannot stop throwing up
- Feel the need to pass urine often or not able to pass urine
- Blood in your urine
- Stones in the urine strainer
- Health problem is not better or you are feeling worse
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my condition.
- I can tell you what may help ease my pain.
- I can tell you what I will do if I have a fever, throwing up, feel like I need to pass urine but cannot, or have blood in my urine.
Where can I learn more?
American Kidney Fund ‚
http://www.kidneyfund.org/kidney-health/kidney-problems/kidney-stones.html ‚
American Urological Association Foundation ‚
http://www.urologyhealth.org/content/moreinfo/kidneystone05.pdf ‚
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases ‚
http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/KUDiseases/pubs/stonesadults/index.aspx ‚
National Kidney Foundation ‚
http://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/kidneystones.cfm ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚