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What is that ringing sound in the ears which prevails even when somebody is in quiet surroundings? Is that sound real or just created by our brain due to some sort of malfunctioning? Some scientific explanation would be more apt.

I'm not asking for diagnosis. I want to know what physical & chemical changes could be behind this issue.

As far as I have observed my body, I found neck pain (most likely cervical spondylosis) to be a prominent reason for this. But the wikipedia article doesn't include it. Is there any valid study that pin-points cervical pain to be a reason for Tinnitus?

I observed that cardio exercises and outdoor gaming activity, temporarily eradicated this problem. The longest relief span recorded by me was 2 days. I can understand that exercise improves the blood flow which could have helped, but what continued the relief for 2days?

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    @CATHARANTHUS thanks for the link.
    – WhiteSword
    Jul 17, 2017 at 16:09
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    @CATHARANTHUS the Mayo Clinic only recommends seeing a doctor about tinnitus in very specific cases.
    – StrongBad
    Jul 17, 2017 at 16:24
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    @CATHARANTHUS my point was that tinnitus does not generally require an immediate visit to an ENT specialist.
    – StrongBad
    Jul 17, 2017 at 16:35
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    @StrongBad, one of the "cases" that your Mayo Clinic link mentions is if the tinnitus bothers you. If someone is posting about it here on SE, I think it's safe to assume it bothers that person. That link also mentions specific medical conditions that can cause tinnitus, and to dismiss them out of hand I think is irresponsible. While it may not require a visit to an ENT, that is not always the case. What if the OP's condition fits into the minority?
    – BillDOe
    Jul 17, 2017 at 18:36
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    When you give clinical explanations to add context to your question, it parallels a medical advice question - even if you don't intend it to be. What separates general medical information from individualized medical information is the individual's clinical context. I know you are trying to give additional information in case that helps someone find the answer, but that's where it crosses the line to individual advice. Please see: health.stackexchange.com/help/how-to-ask
    – DoctorWhom
    Jul 26, 2017 at 6:48

1 Answer 1

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Most people describe ringing in ears as tinnitus. From a medical perspective, the definition of tinnitus is a real mess. It is typically described as a symptom and not a disease and diagnosis is often based on self report (although objective tinnitus is when a doctor can hear the sound). Things get messy though in that Heller and Bergman (1953) found that 93% of individuals without tinnitus reported hearing sounds when placed in a very quiet room. In general, the Mayo Clinic does not suggest seeing a doctor about tinnitus unless, it is bothersome, occurs suddenly, is accompanied by dizziness, or is brought on by an upper repository infection.

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