| Colic | |
|---|---|
 | |
| The cholic (1819) George Cruikshank | |
| Pronunciation | |
| Specialty | Gastroenterology, Urology |
Colic or cholic (/ˈkɒlɪk/) is a form of pain that starts and stops abruptly. It occurs due to muscular contractions of a hollow tube (small and large intestine, gall bladder, ureter, etc.) in an attempt to relieve an obstruction by forcing content out. It may be accompanied by sweating and vomiting. Types include:
- Baby colic, a condition, usually in infants, characterized by incessant crying
- 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
The term is from Greek κολικός kolikos, "relative to the colon".
External links
Look up colic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.