How Long Does It Take For Ear Infection To Go Away With Antibiotics?
Acute otitis media or ear infection usually occurs when the tubes in the inner ear known as Eustachian tubes get filled up with liquid and mucus causing them to swell. This may happen in case of a bacterial or a viral infection and is very painful whether in children or adults. Sometimes it may cause fever, vomiting, diarrhea and headache. Children are more prone to ear infection because their tubes are narrow and may fail to drain the fluids properly. The Eustachian tube goes all the way from the back of the throat to the middle ear. It is made to drain fluid away from the ear and sometimes it can become clogged with mucus causing fluid to build up and swell. These ear infections can be as a result of allergies to the environment or food, colds or sinuses and other ENT infections, excess saliva produced during teething in babies and tobacco smoke that acts as an irritant.
 Antibiotics cannot help if the infection is caused by a virus that is why it is advisable to visit a qualified doctor for proper diagnosis. Most children under the age of 6 months are usually treated with antibiotics though most ear infection is not necessarily caused by bacteria. Anti-bacterial treatment should be sough if the child is under the age of two years, has a high fever, appears sick or irritated and their condition is not getting better within 24 hours of administering fast relief solutions. Antibiotic treatment should be completed to minimize the risk of resistance or recurrence of the infection. If the treatment does not work for 3 days then a doctor should be consulted to change the treatment or proper diagnosis. Some patients with recurrent infections may be given a small dose of antibiotics to take every day to reduce the risk of recurrence.
Ear infections at an advanced stage and cause perforation of the eardrum thereby causing hearing problem and it is thus advised that immediate attention should be taken to prevent such occurrences. Water in the ear should also be avoided and it can lead to acute pain and re-infection. Acute otitis media is not contagious but colds may spread among children resulting into ear infection.
Antibiotics
Antibiotics are considered effective when it comes to treating bacterial ear infections. Amoxicillin is one of the commonly administered antibiotic in such cases but others such as  azithromycin or clarithromycin, cefdinir, cefuroxime, cefpodoxime, amoxicillin clavulanate (Augmentin), clindamycin, or ceftriaxone may be given to the patient. Some of the side effects of these drugs include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea in rare cases serious allergic reactions have been reported.
Acetaminophen and anti-inflammatory
 The physician may also recommend Acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines for fast relief for the pain and fever.
Corticosteroids
These are prescribed together with antibiotics as their main purpose is to drain the accumulated fluids in the middle ear.

Conclusion
Antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs are diagnosed to severe cases of ear infection and it should clear in 2-3 days, although relief should be felt within a day. 

