Tinnitus can be a sign of hearing loss, or it can result from head injuries, ear infections or diseases that range from the common cold to diabetes. People who work with noisy telephones can also get it. Or tinnitus may be initiated by a single loud noise, such as an explosion.

Sometimes, tinnitus is only temporary. If you have a ringing in your ears for only a few days, take it as a warning sign. "Never expose your ears to loud sounds, because they simply make tinnitus worse," says Dr. Jack Vernon, professor of otolaryngology at Oregon Health Sciences University. "If you have to raise your voice to be heard, then the sound around you is too loud." You might want to wear earplubs in a very noisy workplace.

In some instances, stress may also be a factor why a person develops "If not treated, CTS may result in muscle weakness. Such people may find difficulty in using their hands for simple things like holding a cup, turning pages in a book, or even carrying a basket.tinnitus. "Reducing stress often reduces tinnitus," says Dr. Robert E. Brummett, a pharmacologist at the Oregon Hearing Research Center. Deep, slow breathing is one safe way to ease tension any time you feel it creeping up on you, according to Dr. Vernon. But he cautions that this may not be enough. See a counselor if you're having difficulty dealing with stress in your life and your tinnitus is becoming worse because of it.

Ye another workplace ailment has been created by a technology supposed to make things easier for everyone. The personal computer has certainly expanded man's horizons and given him the ability to perform lightning-like calculations. But constant use of the machine use can be hazardous to one's health -- in fact, pounding away at the keyboard for long periods can lead to a disabling condition called carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).

"Carpal tunnel syndrome results from pressure or compression on the median nerve as it passes through the tight 'carpal tunnel' located at the wrist area immediately proximal to the palm," explains Dr Sandra Navarra, head of Rheumatology at the University of Santo Tomas and St. Luke's Medical Center.

"If not treated, CTS may result in muscle weakness. Such people may find difficulty in using their hands for simple things like holding a cup, turning pages in a book, or even carrying a basket. They also tend to drop things," says Professor Pao Hsii Feng, a clinical professor at the National University of Singapore.

CTS can occur at any age, but most commonly among people over the age of 50. It can also affect younger people, especially if they do work or other activities that require frequent, forceful use of the hands. "Regardless of age, CTS occurs more often in women than in men," the Arthritis Foundation bares.

In today's computer intensive offices, among those who are most likely to experience CTS are people who are ignorant to the warning signs, on binge on computer use (writing deadlines, reports, and project proposals), don't take regular rest breaks, having poor posture, and operating incorrect keyboard and/or mouse height positioning.

"CTS may affect one or both hands, and symptoms typically come and go at first," says the Arthritis Foundation. "Early in the course of CTS, symptoms may be affected by the way you use your hands and wrists as well as how often you use them. For example, driving or slicing fruits may bring on symptoms. When your hands are at rest, symptoms are often relieved. As the condition worsens and pressure on the median nerve becomes greater, you may experience continuous pain or numbness."

Variety is the key to avoid CTS. If you use a keyboard, structure your workdays to include a mix of activities each hour. For example, instead of typing all morning and filing all afternoon, mix typing and filing throughout the day.

Then finally, there's that ailment that practically everyone has suffered -- the headache. In its worst form, this can take the shape of a migraine, the "headache from hell." For those who are lucky enough not to be afflicted by it, the paralyzing pain of a migraine may be difficult to imagine. But as novelist Joan Didion once wrote, "That no one dies of a migraine seems to someone deep in an attack as an ambiguous blessing."

The word "migraine" is derived from the Greek "hemicrania," which, loosely translated, means half a head. It alludes to the fact that a migraine typically affects only one side of the head - usually around the eye - and caused by changes in the blood vessels. They may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting and preceded by warning signs, usually flashing lights or numbness and tingling in the arms. Occasionally, speech may be impaired, and the attack may be disabling.

"The exact cause of migraine is unknown, but an attack may be triggered by emotional factors, including excitement, tension, shock, physical exertion, a blow to the head, some foods, and some drugs," says the 'Guide to Prescription and Over-the-Counter Drugs.' "A family history of migraine also increases the likelihood that an individual will suffer from migraine."

To relieve symptoms or prevent attacks, most migraine sufferers take drugs."Different drugs are used in each approach, but none cures the underlying disorder," says the American Medical Association. "However, the migraine can clear up spontaneously, and if you are taking drugs regularly to prevent attacks, your physician may recommend that you stop them after a few months to see whether this has happened."

How do you beat migraine without drugs? "Generally, the best treatment for a migraine is to sleep," says Dr. Glen Solomon, a headache specialist at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Ohio. "Relief comes from falling asleep - even if it's for a short time."

But rather than lying down, position yourself so that your upper body is elevated at about a 45-degree angle, suggests Dr. Michael Gallagher, director of the University Headache Center at New Jersey. "You want your head to be higher than your heart," he explains. Sitting in a recliner will work well.

Dr. Solomon warns, however, that napping can trigger other types of headaches. So, if you're susceptible to other headaches besides migraine, the best policy is to get on a regular sleeping schedule rather than taking catnaps.

Henrylito Tacio is an award-winning science journalist who also writes for Reader's Digest