The painful phase usually eases within 2 to 3 days, and many ear infections clear on their own - MedlinePlus notes pain control and time are often all that is needed.
Antibiotics, when prescribed, typically ease symptoms within a day or two. The tail surprises people: fluid can sit behind the eardrum for weeks after, muffling hearing without being a new infection. Worsening after 48 to 72 hours, persistent fever, or drainage: call.
What to do
Common questions
How long does an ear infection last?
The acute, painful phase usually runs two to three days, and many ear infections clear on their own without antibiotics - MedlinePlus notes that treating the pain and letting the body heal is often all that is needed, with antibiotics reserved for severe cases, young infants, and infections that are not improving. When antibiotics are prescribed, symptoms typically start easing within a day or two, with the full course finishing the job. The part that surprises parents is the tail: fluid can stay behind the eardrum for weeks or even months after the infection clears, causing muffled hearing and a plugged feeling that is not a new infection - it resolves on its own. The watch items: symptoms worsening or not improving after about 48 to 72 hours, fever persisting, fluid or pus draining from the ear, or hearing changes that outlast the illness - those all warrant a call or a recheck. Repeated ear infections in a small child, especially with hearing or speech effects, earn an ENT conversation. Pymander, a free AI doctor available 24/7 by text, can help you decide between watching and calling.