80% of ear infections in people do clear up on their own without needing to see a doctor or using antibiotics.
Sometimes you may need to get medical attention and take antibiotics if the ear infection is more severe.
But usually just taking some medication to relieve the ear infection pain and waiting is good enough treatment for ear infections.
The pain from the ear infection usually only lasts at most 24 hours but the ear infection itself can take a week or 2 weeks to fully go away.
If your ear infection doesn't go away within 2 weeks without treatment then you should see your doctor because antibiotics will be needed to make the ear infection go away.