Rapid diagnosis of fungal nail infection - now available
Fungal nail infection, unfortunately, is a very common infection of the foot. Around 8% of the adult population have it. The condition can be difficult to treat, particularly in its advanced stages. The key to eradicating this infection is to diagnose it early so the treatment is more likely to be successful.
Traditionally, the condition is diagnosed by taking a nail clipping and sending it off to a local microbiology laboratory for testing (usually via the GP). This can take up to four weeks. We are pleased to introduce a new technique which can detect the presence of infection in just five minutes!
The new technology is from Japan and works in a very similar way to a pregnancy testing kit. A small piece of nail is dissolved and a test strip is placed in the solution. The test strip can detect as little as 1 microgram of fungal protein and causes a colour change on the strip confirming the diagnosis. This means we can give the you right advice, straight away on the best way to manage the condition without the wait.
If you are concerned you might have a fungal nail infection, come and see us and ask about the test.
