Kidney colic in pregnancy

Renal colic during pregnancy is dangerous because it provokes an increase in the tone of the uterus, and this, in turn, can lead to premature birth.

That is why, if this dangerous symptom occurs, a pregnant woman should immediately call an ambulance and go to the hospital. The main task is to urgently relieve pain and eliminate spasms using antispasmodics prescribed by a doctor (baralgin, papaverine, no-shpa, etc.). Antispasmodics help to gradually relax the walls of the ureter and improve the passage of urine, which will ease the condition of the pregnant woman and reduce pain symptoms. Of course, if renal colic occurs in a woman carrying a child, there can be no talk of self-treatment and taking any painkillers without a doctor's prescription.

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Causes of renal colic during pregnancy

Colic during pregnancy can be a sign of a very dangerous disease, for example, an exacerbation of pyelonephritis or the development of urolithiasis. If the pain is localized on the right side of the abdominal cavity, "radiating" to the thigh, groin and external genitalia, there is a chance that the pregnant woman is having an attack of renal colic. This symptom can also be accompanied by chills, fever, nausea and even vomiting. A pregnant woman may experience frequent urges to urinate, and if the walls of the ureter are injured due to the sharp edges of the stone, then blood impurities appear in the urine.

Renal colic that occurs during pregnancy has its own characteristics: during pregnancy, a woman's body, due to weakened immunity, is predisposed to the development of urolithiasis. At this stage, women often experience an exacerbation of chronic kidney disease, which increases the likelihood of renal colic. If the pain is caused by urinary stones that block the lumen of the ureters, then doctors most often resort to serious treatment methods: nephrostomy (percutaneous puncture drainage of urine) or surgery (removal of stones).

Renal colic during pregnancy most often occurs suddenly, and the attack develops very quickly and is characterized by sharp bursting pains that "radiate" to a certain part of the body depending on the location of the stone in the urinary tract. During an attack of renal colic, a slowdown in the heart rate, intestinal paralysis, arterial hypertension, and fainting of the pregnant woman are often observed. The duration of the attack can be from several minutes to several hours.

Contraindications for renal colic include hot baths and heating pads, and taking any painkillers. The expectant mother should urgently consult a doctor to avoid dangerous consequences.

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Symptoms of renal colic during pregnancy

Colic during pregnancy is a problem that often worries many expectant mothers. Colic attacks usually occur suddenly, causing pregnant women a feeling of discomfort and unpleasant painful sensations. Renal colic, which is a harbinger of a serious disease, is especially dangerous for the health of the expectant mother and her child.

Symptoms of renal colic during pregnancy indicate a violation of the passage of urine. The muscles can react with sudden contraction if the kidneys, bladder, or ureters become obstructed in the natural flow of urine. In this case, the colic is cramping and does not allow the woman to lie down or sit freely - the pain is so strong and sharp.

Among the main symptoms of renal colic are:

• suddenness and severity of the attack (the pain increases, becomes intense, is cramping in nature and can “radiate” to different parts of the body: the lower back, thigh, groin, and also the external genitalia);
• chills;
• nausea, sometimes vomiting;
• frequent urge to urinate;
• increase in temperature;
• blood in the urine (if there are stones in the ureter).

Such symptoms may occur with obstructive disease of the urinary tract. If a pregnant woman has developed urolithiasis, the stones may create obstacles in the urinary tract or renal pelvis, and also "get stuck" in the bladder. This provokes the occurrence of severe pain in the woman in the form of colic. Obstructions to the natural outflow of urine may be not only stones, but also mucus and blood clots that appear during the development of inflammatory diseases, such as pyelonephritis.

Renal colic is very dangerous for a pregnant woman, since muscle contractions stimulate the uterus, which can trigger premature labor. Sometimes renal colic is similar to labor contractions, which is why there have been cases when pregnant women were taken to the maternity hospital, believing that they had begun labor.

Treatment of renal colic during pregnancy

Colic during pregnancy caused by kidney problems is acute and paroxysmal. It may be accompanied by other symptoms indicating the presence of stones in the urinary system: fever, blood in the urine, painful urination.

Renal colic during pregnancy is treated strictly in a hospital setting. Usually, the attack is stopped in many pregnant women with antispasmodic drugs. However, if the size of the stone reaches 10 mm or more, urgent surgical intervention is required, since waiting for the stone to pass naturally is fraught with the threat of serious functional disorders of the kidneys. The main indication for surgery is the patient's serious condition, in which there is very severe pain that neither analgesics nor antispasmodics can cope with. In this case, surgical treatment is combined with the introduction of uroantiseptics and the most gentle antibiotics.

First aid for renal colic in a pregnant woman consists of taking approved antispasmodics, in particular, No-shpa and Nitroglycerin, which help relax smooth muscles and are safe for the child. Before the doctor arrives, the pregnant woman is recommended to collect urine in a separate container. In such cases, the use of a heating pad, compresses, hot baths, and painkillers is strictly contraindicated. To reduce pain, you can try to change your body position.

Of course, before starting treatment for renal colic, the doctor needs to establish the underlying causes of its occurrence. To do this, a medical examination is carried out to determine whether the pregnant woman has urolithiasis. After diagnosis, the disease is eliminated using drugs that dissolve stones. Among such drugs, we can highlight Kanefron, Cyston, Urolesan, Fitolizin, as well as pol-pala grass, bearberry, fir oil, etc. Surgery itself is undesirable for a pregnant woman, so it only takes place in extreme cases. Lysis is carried out using pharmaceutical and folk remedies. The pregnant woman is recommended to take diuretic herbs that restore urine flow and effectively relieve inflammation.

Treatment of renal colic during pregnancy with the help of such traditional medicines as a decoction of lingonberry leaves, birch buds, bearberry leaves, horsetail, orthosiphon stamineus leaves, as well as mint, viburnum fruits, linden flowers, gives effective results.

A decoction of lingonberry leaves and fruits is very easy to prepare: 2 tablespoons of raw materials are poured with a glass of boiled water, after which the mixture is kept in a water bath for 30 minutes. The finished decoction must be cooled for 10 minutes at room temperature. Then it must be squeezed out and filtered, and water must be added to the resulting liquid to obtain a volume of 200 ml. For urolithiasis, pregnant women are recommended to take the decoction once a day in a volume of ¼ glass.

Pregnant women who have had renal colic are necessarily prescribed a diet, the purpose of which is to prevent the symptom and avoid relapses. It is necessary to exclude from the diet foods that are risk factors for the formation of urolithiasis: salt, fried foods, animal proteins, offal. It is recommended to drink up to 3 liters of fluid per day, if the expectant mother does not suffer from edema, and there are no other contraindications.