How to Treat a Jellyfish Sting

It's a beautiful day in paradise -- otherwise known as the beach! And you're splashing around in the cool water when SUDDENLY

...

Your leg feels like it's been stabbed by a thousand hot needles.

You got stung by a jellyfish. This sea critter has thousands of tiny barbed stingers all along its tentacles.

Although a few kinds of jellyfish can cause life-threatening stings, mostly it just burns, swells, itches, and leaves tracks along your skin.

Rinse your skin in salt water. Don't use fresh water -- that can make the stingers release more venom.

DON'T PEE ON IT! That's a popular remedy that can actually make it feel worse.

GENTLY scrape with the edge of a credit card to remove the stingers. If you have shaving cream, put that on before you scrape.

Use a baking soda and saltwater paste or a hydrocortisone cream to treat any swelling or itching.

And of course, if you have a severe reaction or get stung on the eye or mouth, get emergency help.

For WebMD, I'm Dr. Michael Smith.