Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], January 7: Imagine a world without the ability to hear your favorite song, the sound of your loved one's voice or the chirping of birds in the morning. You would be surprised to know that by 2030, over 50 crore people worldwide might miss out on these pleasures of life due to some form of hearing loss. Due to omnipresent smartphones, constant usage of headphones and continuous exposure to loud sounds, over 100 crore people across the globe face the risk of permanent hearing loss. "This is a silent epidemic, one we all are currently ignoring but can totally prevent with the right awareness and care," says Dr. Shree Rao, an award winning ENT specialist and experienced ear surgeon at Dr. Rao's ENT Hospitals.