It makes sense if you really stop to think about it, though. A single toddler can generate a positively ear-splitting amount of noise. 

Shove 20 or 30 of them in a room, and it should come as no surprise that teaching tends to be widely held as one of the loudest professions. And given that it's just a little uncouth to shove in a pair of earplugs when you're up at the front of the classroom, most teachers simply suffer through and soldier on. 

Many of them probably don't even realize how harmful it is. 

The connection between teaching and hearing loss is one that Affmar Martin discovered firsthand. A teacher who primarily works with students around the age of four or five, he's no stranger to loud noises. And after her third year, those noises started to take their toll. 

"My hearing loss became really noticeable around when I was about to start teaching other teachers how to be teachers," Affmar recalls. "It wasn't exactly an ideal situation. And I knew it was something I couldn't simply ignore, so I did a bit of research and eventually came across Connect Hearing. "

Shortly after speaking to a representative on the phone, Affmar went in for a hearing test at Connect Hearing's office in Killeen, Texas. Our audiologists there quickly determined that she had hearing loss. We then worked with him to help him figure out the best course of action.

Ultimately, that proved to be a pair of Phonak Audéo Paradise hearing aids. 

"I always love going in to speak to the staff at Connect Hearing," says Affmar. "They're always so attentive, and they're really great at what they do. There've been times when I've gone in stressed or having a bad day, and they always make sure I leave with a smile on my face." 

After being fitted with her hearing aids, Affmar noticed a difference right away. Because the children she teaches are so young, they frequently play games in the classroom. The first day she came to work with her hearing aids, she realized that the kids were whispering during the game — that they'd been whispering for months. 

"The biggest thing I've noticed is how clear my hearing aids sound," says Affmar. "I'm a huge social media user, so these definitely help with that and make it a lot easier to hear videos and such. Also, I love to run, and it's great how much clearer everything is when I'm out — the clarity of sound helps me maintain better awareness of my surroundings, such as being able to tell if a car's engine is running." 

"My students can really tell the difference between these devices and my last ones," she continues. "They'd gotten used to having to shout at me when they were talking or allow me to read their lips, but this doesn't happen anymore. They were cheering when I told them I was getting new hearing aids and cheered when I was able to show them after my fitting!" 

Currently, Affmar is doing a combination of virtual and in-classroom teaching. She records her lessons and uploads them for students to view online and only occasionally teaches in person. The hearing aids, she says, make it easy to do both. 

"The decision to contact Connect Hearing is one that very much changed my life for the better," Affmar concludes. "You don't even realize how much something like this changes your life until you experience it. I'm very happy with my service and am incredibly grateful for the help Connect Hearing has given and continues to give."