Car Honked at Me (Pedestrian)

Just now I was standing on the side of the street and a car honked at me, right in front of me. It took 2-3 seconds. I was walking. I was wearing foam earplugs.

Will this have caused damaged to my tinnitus? It feels much louder now. I don't know what to do. I am so scared.

 

It most probably hasn't relax, especially since you were wearing foam.
The spike in your tinnitus is normal ; a lot of us have spikes after being in noisy environment but as times goes by you'll get used to it and the spikes will be much more tolerable ( if here at all )

I live in HK so heavy traffic and honks are daily life for me, if this was enough to cause ear damage i'd probably be deaf.

Most important thing is not to stress about it as stress makes it MUCH worse and you'll end up running in a circle

 

I\'m honestly so scared. I had Peltor muffs in my bag but didn't wear them. I am so stupid.

 

Ok let me use facts if it can make you feel better
À car honk is about 100 db in most countries.

To have possible ear damage at a 100db you would have to listen to it for at least 15 minutes.

Since its probably not the case ( unless you live in italy) youre fine.
Just a scary spike.

 

Isn't a car honk way louder than that? It was an Audi or VW

 

I don't know how to stop being scared. My tinnitus feels much louder than before. I am so angry at this guy honking unnecessarily

 

Only time will tell, if any damage was done. Your tinnitus feels louder because the event has probably triggered a spike. Spikes happen because of either the noise/impact or the stress/anxiety that has been involved. What is done is done, no matter how loud or not loud the event was. Try not to dwell on what happened.

I have had quite a few accidents/incidents in the month of December and all of them were very loud. I have not developed any new tones, no new intensity..nothing. The perception we put into sounds and events can impact how we feel. Remaining calm is what I always try to advise. Stress/anxiety can keep a spike going longer. Now my post will not apply to 100% of those that suffer from tinnitus, but the virtue still remains....anxiety/stress can bother the tinnitus

 

I'm so scared I am feel like I'm going to pass out.

 

I've had these things multiple times, and freaked out every time.
Let me tell you this, I am almost completely sure this can't do any damage.
A carhorn is like max 100 dB at 1 meter, 1 meter is close. You were probably further.
You were using earplugs, let's say they weren't good inserted, and you got only 6 dB protection.
That means you had max 94 dB to deal with.

That's quite a lot.
A lot if you were standing in it for 4 hours, like half the world population when they go to a loud bar.

You had this for like 4 seconds, even if your ears were really sensitive and prone to damage, it's very unlikely that it could permanently hurt you. This is a typical anxiousness-spike in my opinion.

You don't have to wear peltors on a public road, earplugs are already a stretch, and you could develop hyperaccusis because of it. I know because I use them on a road, and developed a sound sensitivity.
It sounds reasonable that you want to use plugs on a busy road, don't want to tell you to stop doing that all of a sudden. So use them if you feel better protected.
But don't blame yourself for not using a peltor.. What if you don't hear a car incoming for instance?

 

I have walked right in front of a car before and honked at me, right as I was passing by. It was scary when it happened but I never got a spike from it nor lasting damage.

I can only speak for myself since everyone's ears are different but that is my experience.

 

Thanks I know earplugs are not necessary but I feel very uncomfortable in traffic without them, I;m scared of all the cars and the noises and construction sites, the thought of having to bear all that wihtout ear plugs alone is driving me insane...

And I was indeed standing right next to the car, it was some guy who decided I was standing too close to the road or whatever. Ultimately it's all my fault, I should have been more careful to protect my ears. The car was max. 1m from me. I took some Lorazepam cause I can't calm down from this incident. I will never go outside into traffic again...

 

Not long enough duration to make damage!

 

I've had this experience many times, cars honking near me. And the worst ones, are when big trucks, like busses or cargos, decompress air near your ear. But, how can you be prepare for that?

I personally don't use earplugs at street, neither at everyday activities.

I'm not worry about this experiences will affect my current modereta T.

I think you will be ok.

 

Why In Italy the drivers are more impolite?
@filosiman if a car horn would damege the ears, now there would be billions on suffers on the hearth and pharma would have probably found a cure already

 

Since you wore earplugs, you should be fine.

 

Haha funny. You were wearing earplugs and you are worried. I would have felt relieved.
Try having an entire row of taxis honk their horns, at the same time as you are walking past metres away without ANY ear protection,to get drivers up ahead to move the queue forward. That is just one of my many bad luck noise events. The next day near the same place a piece of crap car with a ridiculously big muffler screamed past - I was maybe 50metres.
Even though I’m quick to cover my ears with my hands, I got a horrible noise trauma.
Feel better now?