What happens during a sweat test?
Your health care provider will need to collect a sample of sweat for testing. The entire procedure will take about an hour and will probably include the following steps:
A health care provider will put pilocarpine, a medicine that causes sweating, on a small area of the forearm.
Your provider will place an electrode on this area.
A weak current will be sent through the electrode. This current makes the medicine seep into the skin. This may cause a little tingling or warmth.
After removing the electrode, your provider will tape a piece of filter paper or gauze on the forearm to collect the sweat.
Sweat will be collected for 30 minutes.
The collected sweat will be sent to a lab for testing.
