NAIL INFECTION TESTING

When Your Nails Speak Up

Your nails can be an early warning system for overall health. Changes in color, thickness, texture, or shape often signal a fungal, bacterial, or yeast infection that won’t clear up with drugstore remedies alone. Left unchecked, nail infections (onychomycosis) can spread, become painful, and even affect skin or other nails. A lab-confirmed diagnosis is the safest way to choose the right treatment and stop the infection in its tracks.

What the Test Is & How It Works

At Precise Care Clinical Lab, we collect a small clipping of the affected nail and the debris underneath, then run a comprehensive diagnostic work-up:

• KOH Microscopy – a quick microscopic check for fungal elements
• Fungal Culture – grows organisms to confirm the exact species
• PCR Fungal DNA Analysis – molecular testing that detects hard-to-find or slow-growing fungi with high sensitivity
• Bacterial Identification (when needed) – rules out or confirms bacterial co-infection

By combining these methods, we can identify dermatophytes, non-dermatophyte molds, and yeasts such as Candida—even when they’re present in very small amounts.