Hello! My name is Carl and I am a 61 year old special education teacher with bilateral moderately severe high frequency hearing loss and tinnitus. I was first diagnosed at the age of 24. At that time, I was told that my hearing loss and tinnitus was due to noise exposure. Since then, I have been told that the cause is likely generic predisposition for noise induced hearing loss/aging/possible affect of ototoxic medication/mumps or chicken pox! I really suspect that my hearing was affected w hen I had either chicken pox or mumps around age 8-10. My teachers reported that I had trouble listening and following directions. My fourth grade teacher wrote on my report card "Is there a hearing problem?". My parents had their hands full with my younger brother who had medical and learning issues, so my possible hearing loss was not addressed until I was 24. I have worn hearing aids for 13 years (Oticon Siya 1)