Norm Coleman has Bell's Palsy

Former Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) has been diagnosed with Bell's Palsy, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports.

Bell's Palsy results in the paralysis of one side of the face, but often disappears quickly after onset. Coleman is not expected to have any lasting nerve damage from the episode:

Coleman said he began noticing problems last week when he was in Washington. "I thought I had allergies. My eye was tearing," he said. Then just before boarding a plane to return to Minnesota, Coleman took a sip of water and noticed "it kind of dribbled." On the plane, he noticed only half his face worked while talking to passengers. "I was smiling but I realized that my whole face wasn't smiling — just half of my face."

He figured he had a medical problem but he wasn't concerned that it was a stroke. "I was thinking clearly ... but my muscles weren't responding," he said.