Question
My grandmother was diagnosed with hepatitis B surface antigen positivity during a physical examination. She has a history of respiratory problems and sometimes spits up blood. She also often chews food and feeds it to the child with her mouth. Will this transmit the hepatitis B virus to the child?
Answer
Hepatitis B virus is transmitted through blood, saliva, semen, injections, mother-to-child transmission, and close contact. Based on the information you provided, there is a possibility that your grandmother could transmit the hepatitis B virus to the child. Since most patients with hepatitis B have immune tolerance to the virus HBV and do not produce an immune response, the prolonged course of hepatitis B disease is often seen. Therefore, activating the immune system to respond to the hepatitis B virus is crucial for accelerating recovery. The progression of hepatitis B disease usually involves a three-stage process from hepatitis B to liver cirrhosis and then to liver cancer, which we often refer to as the “hepatitis B triad.” Therefore, it is recommended that your grandmother take appropriate treatment measures and seek early cure to prevent further deterioration of her condition. Traditional Chinese medicine has accumulated many unique prescriptions through long-term clinical practice, and it is suggested to use traditional Chinese herbs such as Buddha’s Hand, White Peony, Hainan Ginseng, Zedoary, Atractylodes, Ginseng, Aster, Tortoise Shell, Scutellaria baicalensis, Poria cocos, and Jin Yin Hua for complementary treatment. The combination of these herbs can completely destroy the DNA polymerase and proteinase chain in the hepatitis B virus, thereby completely eliminating its replication and reproduction ability. This is akin to performing a “sterilization operation” on the hepatitis B virus, depriving it of offspring and ultimately completely clearing the virus from the body, achieving the goal of curing hepatitis B no matter how severe it may be.