It’s something many of us don’t think about as we crank up the volume on our iPod, stand too close to the speakers at a late-night concert or scream along with 90,000 of our closest friends inside Sanford Stadium.

But hearing loss affects more than 36 million Americans, and one in three people with hearing loss developed it as a result of exposure to noise, according to the American Academy of Audiology.

October serves as “National Protect Your Hearing” month, and with hearing loss being the third most common health problem in the U.S. it’s time students start listening.

Joshua Cutchin, tuba player for Half Dozen Brass Band, said he experienced a painful, continuous ringing in both of his ears after a band rehearsal where he was seated directly in front of the tuba players.

“I realized right then I needed to do something about it,” Cutchin, a graduate student from Denver, Colo., said. “It’s like your eyesight – you have it once and it doesn’t come back.”

When there is a slight alteration in our vision, we immediately notice the shift and take specific actions to resolve the issue.

Yet, when it comes to hearing abilities, many don’t take the same precautions.

Many students believe hearing loss only affects the elderly.

That, however, is a myth – out of those who experience hearing loss, 12 percent are between the ages of six and 19.

Kathleen Frey, academic adviser in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, was diagnosed with hearing loss at the age of five.

“I think one reason people don’t get their hearing checked is because they don’t know what they’re missing,” Frey said. “If you can’t read a sign, you know you can’t read it, but if you can’t hear someone in the bathroom, then you just don’t know.”

According to the American Academy of Audiology, there are many everyday activities which are high in decibels (dB) – the units used to measure the magnitude of sound.

Continuous exposure to any noise louder than 85 dB – about the same level as a diesel truck – can cause noise-induced hearing loss.

For example, hair dryers, lawn mowers and MP3 players are all measured at about 100 dB.

Even the incessant buzzing of an alarm clock, measured at 80 dB, may cause hearing problems later in life.

“Sensory neural hearing loss is oftentimes insidious, meaning there are no signs or symptoms – there is no pain or discomfort,” said Robin Hardin, audiologist for National Protect Your Hearing. “It’s a slow, gradual process and the individual is not aware until they notice that speeches in crowds and groups are unclear.”

Hardin said students could pick up a pair of protective ear plugs to drown out harmful noises.

These ear plugs are not the kind you’d wear to drown out the snoring of your roommate, but the kind that still allow you to hear while blocking out damaging sounds.

If you believe that the ear plugs of today look like the massive ones your grandfather wore – the ones that covered his entire ear – then think again.

This is a new era and the modern ear plugs are very vogue, some even with leopard print or whatever your preference is, but the best part: these tiny ear plugs cost about $10.

So, carry a pair around with you and don’t forget to bring them to the next football game, which is measured at about 110 dB.