One in three people between the ages of 65 and 74 in the United States have hearing loss, according to an ear nose and throat doctor.

"I think people take it for granted until they lose it,” otolaryngologist Camilo Fernandez-Salvador said.

Health experts say there are some things people do every day that may be causing your hearing loss. A big contributor to hearing loss is loud noises, or anything over 85 decibels.

A hairdryer can reach up to 85 decibels, and some blenders can reach sounds levels up to 100 dB.

Another factor, according to Fernandez-Salvador, is Q-tips.

“You're not really cleaning your ear with a Q-tip, you're mostly packing wax and you can give yourself an ear infection,” Fernandez-Salvador said.

Another factor is your health. Smoking can also hurt the ears.

“It can irritate your airways and you can end up with ear infections, things of that nature,” Fernandez-Salvador said. “And your cochlear is an organ that needs to be fed blood. So, if you have chronic smoking, you end up having narrower vessels, lack of blood flow." 

Some dental conditions may be linked to hearing loss.

“Bacteria in your teeth can travel to blood vessels that can cause narrowing or inflammation to adjacent organs,” Fernandez-Salvador said.

So, what can you do about it? Studies say try to keep your earbud volume between 60 to 85 decibels. If you have an iPhone, check the audio levels of your surrounding environment on the health app.

You can also check your medications for any side effects that may harm your ears.

“People forget that some medications have major side effects. Simple things like antibiotics can cause hearing loss,” Fernandez-Salvador said. 

So, remember to lower the decibels now, or you may face the silence later.

Watch the video above for the full story.