Have you ever felt really sick or have an upset stomach after eating certain meals? It is common to at least experience this at least once in a lifetime. While feeling stomach ache can be quite discomforting, most does go away quite quickly unless it is caused by serious problems such as colic. It is important to take care of your health by taking good care of the gut system as the saying goes “all diseases begin in the gut”. In this article, we will be learning about colic, especially in adults.
Colic is often associated with babies when the babies cry persistently or very loud with high pitch. However, colic can also affect adults. Colic is often described as pain in the abdomen. Colic usually happens as an attempt of the body to eliminate obstruction. In this case, the muscle contracts vigorously around the obstructed area and the spasms lead to pain. The blockage can be partial or complete and in certain organs including gallbladder, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, kidney and ureter. Inflammation in the abdomen may also lead to colic.
Abdominal colic in adults has many causes. To understand the causes itself, it is best to understand colic based on its type:
- Biliary colic- This colic is caused by the gallstone that temporarily blocks one of the bile ducts. Gallstones usually occur after eating large and fatty meals. The bile ducts carry bile (digestive fluid) from the gallbladder and liver through the pancreas to the small intestine.
- Renal colic- This colic is caused by the kidney stones moving through the urinary tract which includes kidney, ureter, bladder and urethra. Pain is most likely to be caused by kidney stones blocking the urine passage from kidney to bladder. Kidney stones are made of minerals and salts with a variety of sizes from a small grain of sand to a golf ball.
- Intestinal colic- This colic is caused by partial or complete blockage in the small or large intestine. This prevents food, fluid, air and stool from moving along the intestine. Blockages can be from scar tissue resulting from previous abdominal surgery, certain inflammatory conditions such as Crohn’s disease, peritonitis or pelvic inflammatory disease, impacted stool and tumours.
Symptoms of colic based on types:
- Biliary colic- Symptoms can occur at any time and not only after eating big fatty meal. The severe abdominal pain lasts for a few minutes up to 5 hours. Pain occurs in the centre of the upper abdomen or just under the ribs on the right-hand side. Pain may spread to the side or shoulder blade.
- Renal colic- Pain often experienced in the lower abdomen or on the side of the body, between the ribs and hips. Pain may spread to the groin. Pain can be mild to severe with duration of 20 minutes up to 1 hour. Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting and presence of blood in urine.
- Intestinal colic- Cramping pain that is mild to severe. Pain can last up to 5 hours with intense pain that gradually subsides. Other symptoms include inability to pass gas, unable to perform bowel movement, change in bowel movement such as diarrhoea, vomiting, nausea, bloating and loss of appetite.
Due to the fact that colic can be caused by many reasons, affecting different parts of the body and varying symptoms, it is important for patients to get checked by doctors when they have any of the symptoms either mild or severe. Doctors diagnose the different colic based on the symptoms and medical history of patients. Physical examination can help determine the exact location of the affected area. Doctors may ask for further examinations such as blood tests and imaging tests to understand the cause and severity of the disease.
Treatment depends on the types of the colic. In general, initial treatments are painkiller and anti-inflammatory drugs to alleviate symptoms. Doctors may prescribe drugs to dissolve the stones. Doctors will continue with shockwave treatment to break up the stones in the kidney or gallbladder if the condition is severe. Some of the serious cases of biliary colic may require minimally invasive surgery to remove gallbladder as it is considered to be a non-essential organ. Patients can try applying heat pads to ease the pain. Laxatives may help to ease mild abdominal colic especially when there was no bowel movement in several days. Eating a high-fibre diet and drinking more fluid can help prevent constipation that is associated with abdominal pain.
Although most episodes of colic do disappear after a few hours, it is best to check with a doctor if colic occurs regularly. Signs such as jaundice (yellowing skin and to the white of the eyes), abdominal pain persist or severe that it is not relieved by change in position, fever and child, rapid heartbeat, persistent vomiting and inability to drink or eat without vomiting, should be considered as serious signs. If a patient experiences any of the serious signs, they should seek immediate medical attention as this can be a life-threatening condition or can increase risk for complications when left untreated.
