Cool rainy days are much better for allergies then the dry and sunny days.

First things first. Your friend needs to figure out what specific allergen is triggering an immune response.

1#A skin allergen test is needed.It's a simple procedure and can be done in a good hospital. The forearm skin is pierced several times with a very thin needle and several allergens are introduced. The spots that develop a mosquito bite appearance will indicate allergens.

2A#Saline/Salt Water is not recommended anymore due to the risk of amoebiasis. If the water is contaminated, amoebas can easily migrate to brain and the neurological damage can be irreversible.

2B# De-sensitization protocols are very long treatments with dubious results and require weekly injections. I would advise against them.

3# After the skin test results come back, the specific allergy (or different combined allergies) can be treated. Usually for mold aspiration a short treatment with Itraconazole before the trip can prevent exacerbations.
For polen and other allergens Zyrtec or other anti-histamine meds will suffice.

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I'd go with the urine cure, but not only drink it, swim in it as well.

great tonic for the soul. it's mend to be drank, that's why it leaves our body as waste.......... yeah right!
the only time i heard of people doing this when they were stuck in the lift for a week.

Urine Therapy does work and I use this treatment during allergy season. Urine is great for itchy, watery eyes. I was suffering from a long bout of itchy eyes for several days. I used several eye drops from the pharmacy and paid from 6-30 Yuan for each bottle. I finally used one of the empty bottles and filled it with urine and the itching went away in minutes. Just make sure you use fresh urine in your eyes. Empty the bottle after use and rinse well. Refill with fresh urine when you need to use it again.

...so you are literally taking the piss??

I have been using TCM medicine for my seasonal (Aug - Oct) allergies for the last 10 years with great success. I recently found a TCM medicine that comes in PILL form at a local pharmacy which is also very effective - Tong Qiao Bi Yan Pian - 通窍鼻炎片 -

This medicine includes many of the same ingredients found in my TCM prescription such as:

Cang Er Zi - 苍耳子
Fang Feng - 防风
Huang Qi - 黄芪
Bai Zhi - 白芷
Xin Yi Hua - 辛夷花
Bai Zhu - 白术

www.sacredlotus.com/herbs/herb_alpha.cfm/letter/c

Great website to learn about TCM herbs

Anybody else particularly suffering with allergies over the last week or two?

Yes, along with around 40% of my students. Sniffing, eyes watering and sore. Found some left-over anti-allergy tablets (Telfast 180mg containing Fexofenadine HCI - don't know what that is, don't care, it just works). Symptoms clear in 15 minutes and relief lasts for about 9 hours. Eye lubricant helps too. Students found their own remedies, much of it probably TCM solutions.

Interesting @nnoble, thanks. I didn't think I (and my son) had caught a cold, as such. Couldn't find your meds suggestion in my local chemists (don't have the chinese name, do you?). I bought some Laratine in the meantime, to see if that works. Thanks again.