What's Your Experience with Exposure to Police Sirens?

Hi! Yesterday, I was walking on a narrow street, wide enough for only one car. I was wearing my Moldex earplugs (35 SNR reduction) when, suddenly, a police car turned on its siren about 8 meters behind me and sped past. It came so close that if I had reached out my hand, I could have touched the windshield. The whole thing happened so fast that, after an initial jump of about 2 meters, I completely froze and didn't put my fingers in my ears.

All I can find about the sirens in my country is that they average 120 dB and can reach a peak of 128 dB.

Has anyone experienced a similar sound exposure and can offer advice or share how things turned out for them?

At the moment, I'm experiencing a spike, but it's hard to tell if it's from the sound or just the panic from what happened, as I'm feeling a bit traumatized. I already had a lot of stress in my body, and I suffer from quite severe hyperacusis.

I've searched the forum for similar incidents, but none of the threads provide closure on whether the spike was temporary or permanent.

 

Has nobody experienced something similar?

 

I have had mild tinnitus for 16 months now. Fortunately, it has been non-reactive, and the hyperacusis faded away within the first six months or so. However, I did experience something similar to what you described—a wailing police car rushing past me. I've also had loud Harley-Davidson motorcycles rev their engines close to me (in the 120 dB range) for 5–10 seconds. It freaked me out, worrying that these loud sounds might further damage my ears, but thankfully, they haven't affected my tinnitus.

I carry Moldex earplugs with me everywhere I go. I only wear them for situations that most people would consider loud, such as mowing the lawn, attending outdoor concerts, or being exposed to heavy traffic. You've had tinnitus much longer than I have, but I believe you will be okay. Hang in there. I wish you peace and healing.