Miley Cyrus reveals rare medical condition behind her 'unique' voice
Miley Cyrus is opening up about a rare medical condition she says contributes to her signature voice and makes performing a serious challenge.
In a recent appearance on Apple Music's "The Zane Lowe Show," the Grammy-winning singer revealed she has Reinke's edema, a condition that causes swelling in the vocal cords and affects vocal performance.
"It's a part of my unique anatomy," she explained. "This is what I look like. So, I have this very large polyp on my vocal cord, which is giving me a lot of the tone and the texture that has made me who I am, but it's extremely difficult to perform with, because it's like running a marathon with ankle weights on."
She added that the condition affects her even in conversation.
"When I'm talking, sometimes at the end of the day, I'll call my mom, and she'll go, 'Oh, you sound like you're talking through a radio.' And that's how you know I'm really tired, because it creates that ultimate vocal fry," she said.
While lifestyle habits like drinking and smoking can aggravate the condition, Cyrus clarified that she has had the condition for years.
"Being 21 and staying up and drinking and smoking and partying after every show does not help, but also, in my case, it does not cause it," she said. "So my voice always sounded like this."
Cyrus added that her voice is "super unique because of it" and that she's opted against surgery due to the risk of losing her distinct sound.
"I'm not willing to sever it, because the chance of waking up from a surgery and not sounding like myself is a probability," she said.
Reinke's edema, or polypoid corditis, is a benign vocal cord disorder that is characterized by swelling along the vocal chords, causing hoarseness and a deepening of the voice, according to StatPearls, an online library published in the National Library of Medicine. Risk factors include smoking, vocal cord overuse or chronic laryngopharyngeal reflux, a type of acid reflux.
"Generally, Reinke edema is a benign, non-life-threatening condition; however, it can significantly impact the quality of life," StatPearls states. "It is a rare process, and treatment options vary widely."
Treatment for Reinke's edema can include surgery, laser therapy or therapeutic injection.
For Cyrus, vocal health means prioritizing sustainability even if that means staying off the road.
"My whole team sitting in the other room can tell you, I put a tour together, like every other week, because I want to do it, but it would have to be in a way that is sustainable for me," she said during the interview, adding that "with what I got going on, like, I don't lip sync. I sing live. And these songs are big."
Cyrus has been vocal before about balancing performance with recovery. In her 2023 TikTok series "Used to Be Young," she reflected on how intense touring takes a toll.
"If you're performing at a certain level of intensity and excellence, there should be an equal amount of recovery and rest," she said at the time.
She also spoke about how that constant public attention can affect her relationship with fans and with herself.
"Having every day the relationship between you and other humans being subject and observer isn't healthy for me, because it erases my humanity and my connection, and without my humanity, my connection, I can't be a songwriter, which is my priority," she added.
