Can a ear infection go away on it's own. if so how long would it take?

You mean like : Before antibiotics people had ear infections ; just dealt with them .Over time, some would perforate or a doc could lance the drum (painful) .Over time some self healed ; some went on to develop abscesses that required surgery.Some had the ear bones freeze up ; lost some hearing. A few days of simple pain killers or heat from a heating pad may provide relief, but long term outcome could be a pbm.