Are the symptoms of small bowel obstruction bad?

YES: Small bowel obstruction can be dangerous and deadly if not treated appropriately. The common symptoms are abdominal pain, abdominal swelling, nausea, and vomiting.

It can be.: The most common symptoms include cramping, generalized abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, bloating, and the absence of any passage of stool or gas. We call this last symptom obstipation, and it is a very important predictor of the severity of the episode. In some cases, the pain becomes constant and severe--this may represent a compromised blood supply to the bowel, requiring emergency surgery.