There’s a new clinical test for nail infection which gives accurate results in under 5 minutes!
No more having to wait to visit your GP, who will probably request nail clippings to be sent away to a NHS laboratory and grown on a culture, with results expected in several weeks, that can often come-back as a false-negative result!
Here at We Fix Feet, we can now offer you a quick and highly accurate in-clinic test (97% accurate with reliable scientifically proven results compared with 46% – 54% accuracy of that with traditional laboratory route), with results confirmed within only 5 minutes of taking a nail sample! It’s the new clinical diagnostic test, developed in Japan and brought to the United Kingdom by renowned Podiatrist, author and researcher, Dr Ivan Bristow.
This simple and effective Five Minute Fungal Nail Test is transforming the way foot healthcare professionals diagnose dermatophyte (fungal) nail infections with rapid and highly effective in-clinic test results.
- Rapid Results in just a few minutes, whilst you wait
- No need to send your nail clippings to the NHS laboratory
- No long waiting time for results, which may take up to 4 weeks via NHS
- Detects the presence of all common fungus types from the smallest sample of nail
- Immediate diagnosis, allowing us to treat the infection without delay
- Scientifically proven to give highly accurate and reliable results
Patient Resources Download
What causes Fungal Nail infection?
- Trauma – stubbed toes, cracked or split nails, lifting nails
- Incorrectly fitting footwear with insufficient toe room
- Humid, moist work environments or sporty activity can increase the risk of infection
- People with diabetes are at more risk, as are others with suppressed immune systems
- Pedicures and manicures salons are a common source of infection if shared equipment has not been sterilised
- Shared nail polish can be a source of infection
- Athletes Foot can spread to nails causing fungal nail infection
What are the symptoms of Fungal Nail infection?
- Chalky-white, yellow or brown discolouration
- Thickened or distorted nails which can become claw-like and painful
- Loose, lost or brittle/crumbly nails. White patches on the nail bed
- Skin near nail can become infected, flaky, inflamed and painful
- Athletes foot infection of the skin – dry, cracked, scaly skin and can infect the nails
- Foot odour or itchy feet
- Fungal infection can easily spread to additional nails and to others very easily
- Having fungal nails can often cause social anxiety and embarrassment
The five-minute fungal nail test confirms the presence of dermatophytes and thus fungal nail infection in a small nail sample by a process known as immune -chromatography. If the test is negative, then fungal nail infection is not present and further consideration must be given to other nail pathologies.
Discoloured, Damaged, Thickened Nail Is it Fungal or Not?
Consider the time and expense you could save in the weeks waiting for NHS test results, or save on purchasing treatments for your nails that you thought were fungal, but weren’t!
Frequently Asked Questions
How accurate is the test?
The Five Minute Nail Fungus Test in published studies has been shown to have an accuracy of 97% – meaning you can be confident in the test results – more accurate than NHS Culture Testing alone.
How much sample is required?
Due to the sensitivity of the Five Minute Fungal Nail Test, only a small amount of nail specimen is required. In work conducted to date, less than 1 gram of infected nail can predict the presence or absence of infection.
What species of dermatophyte can the Five Minute Fungal Nail Test detect?
The test strip is able to rapidly detect the presence of different types of dermatophyte (T. rubrum, T. mentagrophytes [var. interdigitale], T. violaceum, T. tonsurans, Microsporum gypseum, M. canis and E. floccosum), including all the most commonly encountered species causing fungal nail infection in the U.K.
Is there reliable scientific evidence that the Five Minute Fungal Nail Test really works?
Yes, the Five Minute Fungal Nail Test has undergone rigorous testing and to date, a number of scientific publications documenting its success have appeared in the British Journal of Dermatology and the Journal of Dermatology.
Can the test be used if I am already using anti-fungal treatments?
Yes, the Five Minute Fungal Nail Test is unaffected by any anti-fungal treatments which may be present in a nail sample, unlike the usual mycology testing undertaken by the NHS, which because of anti-fungal treatments, could provide false-negative results.
How much will I be charged for the test?
From our clinicians taking a small nail sample, through to the testing and confirmation of the results, you will be charged £45 for each test. With your consent, if a positive result is returned we will write to your GP with the confirmed test result.