Ear infections can be caused by viruses or bacteria, and &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/21/health/antibiotics-virus-bacteria/&amp;quot;&amp;gt;they shouldn&amp;#39;t always be treated with antibiotics&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;. In fact, one study found that &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/16/antibiotics.ear.infections/&amp;quot;&amp;gt;antibiotics do little to speed recovery&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; while increasing risk of other side effects.