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The high pitched squeal inside Dan's head sounded like a dentist's drill searching for a back molar. There was no way of shutting it off. The invisible drill screeched night and day, and the only time he couldn't hear it was when he was asleep. At times it was so loud he thought everybody he knew would hear it, but his coworkers and friends were oblivious. The shriek of the invisible drill was just for him -- and him alone.

He was the only one who heard it -- and the only one who was going nuts.

THE SHRIEKING NOISE IN YOUR INNER EAR

There's a lot of news about Tinnitus, and not much of it is good. If you have it, the noise you're hearing is for you alone and it can be almost unbearable. You may have caused it yourself by listening to loud music or exposing yourself, unprotected, to loud, sharp noises -- but then again, maybe not.

The problem lies with the inner ear, so let's take a brief look at how we hear to get an idea of what may have gone wrong.

The ear is divided up into three regions, outer, middle and inner. The outer ear funnels sound to the eardrum, otherwise known as the tympanic membrane, which transmits it through ossicles, small bones in the middle ear, to the cochlea, the fluid filled inner ear.

Vibrations are then picked up by the fluid in the inner ear which cause hairs called "cilia" to vibrate. The vibrations are translated into electrical signals and delivered to the brain. Somewhere in this process Tinnitus arises, and if medical science completely understood it, there might be more solutions to the problem.

CAUSES ARE NUMEROUS, CURES ARE FEW

There are at least 14 possible conditions that can give rise to Tinnitus.

1. Noise damage. 90 percent of all tinnitus cases are usually associated with hearing loss due to the destruction of the cilia in the inner ear.

2. Wax buildup. If this is the case, get it professionally removed.

3. Meniere's Disease.

4. Environmental Exposure, primarily to cold conditions.

5. Medications such as Aspirin, Quinine, Antibiotics, and Anti-Inflammatories.

6. Stiffening of the bones in the middle ear.

7. Cardiovascular problems such as Hypertension or Atherosclerosis (If your Tinnitus seems to pulsate with your heartbeat, you may have Pulsatile Tinnitus).

9. Tumors

10. Head or neck trauma.

11. Disorders and diseases such as hypo-hyperthyroidism or Lyme disease.

12. Age related -- 60 and above.

13. High blood pressure due to stress, alcohol or caffeine.

14. Foods such as red wine, cheese and chocolate.

Your doctor will advise you as to how to deal with these conditions. The answer might be as simple as giving up cheese or (gasp) chocolate.

WHEN A HOMEOPATHIC REMEDY MAY BE EFFECTIVE

When the screeching noise in your skull is due primarily to the cilia in your middle ear continuously firing the synapses and delivering incessant signals to the brain, your Tinnitus may be amenable to a homeopathic or "natural" therapy. These include:

-- Slo Niacin The doctor might prescribe this. It's also known as nicotinic acid or vitamin B3. Don't be too disappointed if it doesn't work.

-- Acupuncture has worked for some people.

-- Biofeedback

-- Exercise may reduce the noise.

-- Remedies containing Ginkgo Biloba herbal extract.

GINKGO TO THE RESCUE

Ginkgo Biloba is one of the few homeopathic remedies that has been shown to be effective in double bind clinical studies.

An herb dating back to the 3rd Millenium BC, it's a complex mixture of flavonoids, lactones, and Bilobalide. It's too complex to be synthesized, and can only be obtained from the herb itself.

Ginkgo Biloba inhibits glutamate release by vibrating cilia which may be causing continuous transmission of electrical signals, and by reducing GABA uptake, which naturally inhibits glutamate production. Of all the homeopathic remedies, Ginkgo Biloba has the greatest chance of reducing or eliminating Tinnitus in people who do not have other chronic physiological conditions that may be causing it.

AN END TO THE NOISE?

In today's noisy world one may not be able to shut off automobile traffic, loud television sets, and chatty neighbors barbecuing spare ribs next door, but there is hope of retreating or "getting away" from this cacophony.

It's terrifying, however, to develop a noise in your head that you literally cannot shut off or escape from. So...if you like 50 million other people develop Tinnitus, the first thing to do is see your doctor.

Dan saw his doctor, and after extensive testing tried a homeopathic remedy containing Ginkgo Biloba. For him it worked...the noise decreased and ultimately stopped.

For you and 50 million other people? Well that depends...

It depends primarily on why you have it and whether or not you can take the necessary steps to bring back something most people take for granted'

Blessed silence.