Richard Bizley, 51, from Lyme Regis, said his life has been changed by the implant, which has enabled him to hear everyday sounds like birds singing and people talking.

Artist Mr Bizley is feeling more confident and happy since having the implant earlier this year, and is able to cope better with running his own art gallery, BizleyArt.

Semhar was born profoundly deaf, but she never allowed this to hold her back.

Researchers at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, showed that exposure to loud noise led to hearing loss which was permanent if left untreated. If treated with a compound called 'ADAC' after noise damage, hearing recovered substantially.

Between 2005 and 2006, one in five teens suffered some form of hearing problem. This is 30 per cent more than in a study carried out between 1988 and 1994, researchers told the Journal of the American Medical Association.

A major research project is about to start on the subject of text relay services. The review will consider how people who are deaf or partially deaf with or without speech, currently use communications services and what they need to be able to communicate effectively with other people.

Holly’s success is the latest example of the charity’s commitment to the investment and development of its staff.

Having completed the compulsory part of a postgraduate MA course, which will see Holly graduate from the University of Leeds this December, Holly has now achieved the official standard to become an MRSLI, which is the highest industry status for British sign language interpreters.

The action superstar still carries the injury and admits he hates having to make people repeat themselves.

It won't make you popular with the neighbours, but if you are hard of hearing and do not always hear your mobile ring, it could be the phone for you.

With a ring tone that can reach 100 decibels, the same as a pneumatic drill, you shouldn't miss it going off - and nor will anyone in your street.

The earpiece can be set to an even higher volume - 110dB, the equivalent of a South African vuvuzela horn being blown at full blast beside your head.

Tinnitus is most commonly referred to as ‘ringing in the ears’ and can be defined as the conscious experience of noise with no apparent external source. Experiences of tinnitus are very common across all age groups (especially following exposure to loud noise), however, it is unusual for it to be a major problem.

Read part one here.

Part two

We were helped by Elle’s TOD who said that Elle would benefit from a school with a support unit, so we looked around where we lived, but there was nothing about.

A nearby town had two schools with units for deaf children. One used the natural oral method, and the other, total communication.

We now had several options to consider – mainstream with support coming in or mainstream with support built in.

After talking over what we should do for what seemed like forever, we enlisted the help of Elle’s TOD to make things clearer and pinpoint what hours Elle would roughly get in each setting.

Mel has just been implanted with a Nucleus 5 Cochlear Implant which will be switched on next week. She says, "I am a little nervous but more excited than anything.

No sporting icon is more affable than Sir Henry Cooper - so it was a surprise to fans when he began shunning them in the street. And it was even more of a surprise to the former heavyweight boxing champ when he found out that's what he'd been doing.

'I'd be out walking with one of my sons and he'd say: "Dad, that man just spoke to you." But I hadn't heard him. I realised I must have been completely ignoring people when I was on my own.

It was a shock because I try to be friendly, keep with the Our 'Enry image, and people must have thought I was rude. It brought it home to me that I really was going deaf,' says Sir Henry, 76.

Here's a good reason for Justin Bieber's fans to stop screaming so loudly. Justin thinks he's starting to go deaf at age 16!

"I think I've lost 80 percent of my hearing," Justin told Vibe. "I definitely have very loud fans."

Having one for at least four years doubles the odds of the condition in which buzzing, humming and ringing disturbs sleep, intrudes on work and affects quality of life, it found.

With one in seven people suffering from the incurable condition at some point in their lives, finding out more about its causes could benefit millions.