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The Ice Bucket Challenge - Thanks to some great PR and celebs like Kerry Washington, Nick Cannon and Kevin Hart, the Ice Bucket Challenge has gone viral. And while it’s all for a good cause, do you know what ALS is? Read more about this devastating disease and how it affects African-Americans. — Kellee Terrell(Photo: Splash News)

Photo By Photo: Splash News

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What Is ALS? - Also referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) rapidly affects the nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. It attacks the neurons that control our motor skills and the muscles in our face, arms and legs. Because people will lose control of these muscles, they begin to waste away. (Photo: Viaframe/Corbis)

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What Are Its Symptoms? - Almost 80 percent of people with ALS first see signs of the disease in their limbs, says Medscape.com. Symptoms include falling, tripping, slurred speech, weak hand muscles, involuntary laughing and crying, decreased volume in speech and problems swallowing to name a few.  (Photo: Paul Anthony/CORBIS)

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How Common Is ALS? - According to the ALS Association, it’s estimated that 5,600 Americans are diagnosed with the disease each year. Sixty percent of those cases are men, 93 percent are white and the majority of people diagnosed are between the ages of 40-60. But people as young as their 20s can be diagnosed with the disease too. (Photo: Rick Gomez/Corbis)

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Blacks and ALS - While African-Americans and other people of color have lower rates of the disease than whites, it still happens to us. A 2012 study found that when we do have it, we are diagnosed with the disease and tend to die at an earlier age compared to white patients with ALS. (Photo: JGI/Tom Grill/Blend Images/Corbis)

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Other Risk Factors - We know that race, gender and age are large risk factors, but they are not the only ones. Studies have shown that veterans, especially those who took part in the Gulf War, are twice as likely to be diagnosed with ALS. (Photo: John Moore/Getty Images)

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Diagnosing ALS - ALS isn’t easy to diagnose. There are series of tests that doctors can perform that include: x-rays, spinal taps, neurological exams, muscle and nerve biopsy, blood and urine tests and an MRI to name a few. If you are showing signs of ALS, talk to a doctor immediately. (Photo: Nicole Hill/Getty Images)

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Is There a Cure? - Unfortunately, there is no cure for ALS. The disease is extremely deadly. Twenty-five percent of people who are diagnosed with ALS usually die within three years, with 10 percent living up to 10 years. (Photo: Siri Stafford/Getty Images)

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Treating ALS - Treatment doesn’t really slow down the disease’s progression. It’s a way to try to improve the quality of life of those living with ALS. Some common treatment methods are physical therapy and medications such as Rilutek (riluzole). (Photo: JGI/Tom Grill/Getty Images)