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"On a scale of 1 to 10, how noisy and annoying are your cube-mates? Do they blast their music, talk loudly on the phone? Researchers have new warnings about the toll a noisy workplace can have on our health. Got earplugs? I&amp;#x27;m a huge fan of earplugs (um, it&amp;#x27;s why I can get work done in my home with kids!), but investing in a cheapie pack and bringing to the office could be a huge health investment. Here&amp;#x27;s why: The Los Angeles Times reports on a new study with some scary findings: &amp;quot;Years spent in a noisy workplace may take a toll on both hearing and heart health. A study published Wednesday found that persistent noise in the workplace doubled the chances of an employee developing serious heart disease.&amp;quot; Eeks! While the researchers note that those who endure noise are more likely to smoke and be overweight, I can also see the effects of noise upping stress and anxiety levels--bathing your bod in the disturbing stress hormone, cortisol, which is linked with all sorts of health issues. Don&amp;#x27;t like earplugs or feel that it wouldn&amp;#x27;t work in your professional setting? Consider getting one of those nifty indoor &amp;quot;waterfall&amp;quot; devices that provides a soothing, noise-mellowing effect. It may both block noise and help you feel zen during the workday. Tell me gals, is your workplace noisy? Do you co-workers drive you bonkers with their annoying, noisy habits? P.S. 3 smart tips for staying healthy at the office, and want to boost your confidence at work? Read this! More Ways to Get Glamour Visit Shopglamour.com for cute stuff starting at just $10! Enter the latest Glamour sweepstakes! Follow us on Twitter Add us to your iGoogle homepage Photo: Thinkstock"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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