There is no question that too much noise is harmful to hearing, but also to physical health.But when it comes to noise reduction, too much of a good thing also has its downsides. Multiple studies have shown that constant earplug wearing, day and night, over just one week is enough to result in new-onset tinnitus., the tinnitus people developed was “perceived predominantly as high-pitched”, corresponding to the frequency range the earplugs were blocking.
But what to do if you struggle to block out the drone of an open-plan office? Noise-cancelling headphones are “the only way that I can effectively have an office door”, is something Libby Sander often hears. When it comes to distraction, the type of noise may matter as much as volume. Moderate ambient noise, around 70dB, has been found to‘We’ve simply outsourced our sound world in a way we’ve never outsourced our visual world.’“Some people can work really effectively in buzzy cafes and even airports, and yet they can’t focus in the same way in an office. Even if it isn’t as noisy,” Sander says.