Dr. Dania Amir

What Is GERD?
Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, is a digestive disorder that affects the ring of muscle between your esophagus and your stomach. This ring is called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). If you have it, you may get heartburn or acid indigestion. Doctors think that some people may have it because of a condition called hiatal hernia. In most cases, you can ease your GERD symptoms through diet and lifestyle changes. But some people may need medication or surgery.

- People with family members who have high blood pressure
- Smokers
- African-Americans
- Pregnant women
- Women who take birth control pills
- People over the age of 35
- People who are overweight or obese
- People who are not active
- People who drink alcohol excessively
- People who eat too many fatty foods or foods with too much salt
- People who have sleep apnea

How to manage dawn phenomenon
There is a short list of things you can do on your own to help reduce morning blood sugar highs. The list includes:

Take medication or insulin at bedtime instead of at dinnertime.
Eat dinner earlier in the evening.
Get some exercise after dinner.
Avoid snacks that contain carbohydrates at bedtime.
If these don’t work, your physician may recommend:

Trying a different medication.
Moving from oral medication to insulin.
Changing the type or dosage of insulin you take.

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