Colic or cholic () is a form of pain that starts and stops abruptly. Colic pain is usually caused by the obstruction of a smooth muscle passageway in the body (e.g. the small or large intestine, bile duct, or ureter). The obstruction triggers muscular contractions (peristalsis) to force the blockage out of the organ, resulting in episodic pain that fluctuates with the contractions. Although the term primarily refers to pain caused by this mechanism, any pain which occurs in episodes or fluctuates in intensity may be termed colic or colicky pain.

Colic episodes can cause extreme pain, nausea, sweating, and vomiting.

Terminology

The term is and was first used in the sense of an acute, episodic abdominal pain in the Promptorium Parvulorum, completed sometime around 1440. In the modern day, the term is more often used to refer to baby colic, a condition in infants of excessive crying which typically does not have an organic cause. The usage of the term colic in this latter sense became prevalent by the mid-20th century in pediatric journals.

Examples

  • Baby colic, excess infant crying of unknown cause
  • Biliary colic, blockage by a gallstone of the common bile duct or cystic duct
  • Devon colic or painter's colic, a condition caused by lead poisoning
  • Horse colic, a potentially fatal condition experienced by horses, caused by intestinal displacement or blockage
  • Renal colic, a pain in the flank, characteristic of kidney stones

References

da:Kolik

id:Mulas

fi:Koliikki