When you go to a lot of concerts, you are literally losing your hearing a little bit at a time. While most people who go to concerts rarely put a lot of concern into things which happen in the distant future, the effects can sometimes be observed within only a few months of beginning to go to concerts. The hearing loss that a person experiences when one goes to a concert (especially if you like to be fairly close to the stage) is subtle, and you may not lose very much to begin with. But over time, you can still enjoy your music just as much- and you will also be able to hear it well when you are older, if you guard your hearing today.
Hearing protection can take on a lot of different forms. While you can always buy the types of white noise generators that come right up next to your ear and cancel out a certain type of sound, this is generally overkill. In a lot of cases, you can subsist with nothing more sophisticated than a pair of the simple, rubber coated foam ear inserts that are sold in a little pack for a low price. These can save your hearing, and no one will ever be the wiser that you have taken this small extra step. Of course, you can also use the orange rubber ear plugs to do the same trick, too.
One of the best (and some would argue, the most comfortable) methods of protecting your hearing at a concert are the sound blocking ear muffs that you can easily slip on and off. These have the advantage of not needing to be stuck into your ears- this can be a big deal if they happen to have gotten dirty, which can become a serious irritant with the kinds that go into your ears. With simple steps like these, you might be hearing well into old age.