Miley Cyrus's deep, raspy voice is primarily due to a medical condition called Reinke's edema, a swelling of the vocal cords that creates a lower pitch, often caused by vocal cord abuse, smoking, or acid reflux, though she attributes it to her intense touring schedule and lifestyle during her early career, leading to vocal cord polyps that give her unique texture but make performing challenging. Despite the difficulties, she embraces it as part of her identity and has resisted surgery to preserve her distinctive sound.
Miley Cyrus has publicly shared she lives with Reinke's edema, a vocal cord disorder causing swelling, hoarseness, and a deeper, raspy voice, which she embraces as part of her unique sound but makes touring difficult. While she's mentioned this and past health struggles like ovarian cysts, rumors of severe diagnoses (like cancer) circulating online (e.g., in posts from late 2025) are unverified and likely false, as recent reports focus on her vocal condition.
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.
During a recently released interview with Apple Music's Zane Lowe, Cyrus talked about having Reinke's edema. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the condition is “a noncancerous vocal cord disorder” whose “hallmark symptoms are hoarseness and a noticeably deeper voice.”
Turns out there's a medical reason behind it. She has what's called Reinke's edema, and it became worse in her early 20s. It's basically swelling of the vocal cords, and can be caused by vocal abuse, smoking, and acid reflux.
Cyrus shared more about her Reinke's edema diagnosis in an interview with Apple Music's Zane Lowe on May 21. “I have the Reinke's edema, which is something that is called, it's abuse of the vocal cords,” Cyrus said. “And being 21 and staying up and drinking and smoking and partying after every show does not help.
Beyoncé, Marilyn Monroe, Venus, Elvis, Miley Cyrus and the Little Mermaid are all wearing a stoma bag. Cancer survivor Sarah decided to celebrate, rather than cover up, the bag, which she has following her treatment for stage 3 colon cancer. Sarah never expected to be extolling the virtues of a stoma.
Miley Cyrus Nose Job (Rhinoplasty) Surgery Before After
Earlier photos show a slightly wider bridge and rounded nasal tip, while her current nose appears slimmer and more defined. Experts often cite this as a conservative rhinoplasty; subtle enough to maintain balance while refining proportions.
"I had a heart murmur, a leaky valve, and I had tachycardia. And those moments were traumatizing," said Cyrus. A doctor told her she'd probably had the condition her whole life, but because she'd never been under that level of stress before, she never knew.
Miley Cyrus identifies as genderfluid and gender-neutral, meaning she doesn't strictly identify as male or female, seeing herself more as a "spirit soul" and feeling "genderless" and "ageless" at times. She has openly discussed her journey, stating she feels like "nothing" in terms of traditional gender labels, and is part of the LGBTQ+ community, often described as pansexual, attracted to people regardless of their gender.
Yes, Miley Cyrus has stated she is completely sober, a commitment she has described as life-changing, having quit marijuana in 2017 and alcohol by 2020, and continues to maintain her sobriety, viewing it as central to her well-being and ability to show up as her best self. She embraces sobriety as her "God," allowing her to be present and ready for opportunities, and has spoken openly about the journey of healing and self-discovery it has brought her, even acknowledging past relapses as necessary for her current clarity, according to reports from 2025 and 2024.
Mezzo-Soprano
Miley is most certainly a mezzo. She harnesses her natural comfort down low, giving her an incredible low range. As a mezzo, she still possesses comfort in the lower 5th octave, and isn't afraid to explore right up into the soprano range (We Can't Stop, Take Care Of You).
WEDNESDAY, May 28, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Singer and actress Miley Cyrus says a rare voice disorder called Reinke's edema is behind her famous raspy voice — and also makes singing live very hard.
In (2014 – 2021), Miley's Smile maintenance
She's done professional teeth whitening, veneers polishing, and touch-ups to avoid discoloration. She might have undergone wisdom teeth extraction that seemed to be the reason for the subtle alignment shift in her smile.
She was born with supraventricular tachycardia, a condition causing an abnormal resting heart rate. Her birth name, Destiny Hope, expressed her parents' belief that she would accomplish great things. Her parents nicknamed her "Smiley", which they later shortened to "Miley", because she often smiled as an infant.
🥇👏 Adele was diagnosed with stage 2 bowel cancer in October 2021, two years after experiencing early bowel cancer symptoms while taking part in 'I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!' As part of her cancer treatment, Adele had an ileostomy operation and now relies on her stoma bag, which she has named Audrey.
Famous People with Ostomies
Miley Cyrus couldn't sing Hannah Montana songs for years because Disney owned the rights and didn't permit her to perform them after she left the network, as it conflicted with her evolving adult image, but this restriction was lifted in 2024 after she was inducted as a Disney Legend. She revealed she wasn't allowed to sing them after fulfilling her Disney contract, a situation she noted wasn't ideal but didn't necessarily want to perform them anyway, as it wouldn't fit with her newer music.
The singer believes that sobriety, which she considers “her God,” is difficult to maintain while on tour. "Sobriety is like my God. I need it, I live for it. It's changed my whole life," Miley Cyrus told Zane Lowe in May, and it's precisely her strong will to stay sober that keeps the singer away from touring.
Miley Cyrus's most discussed medical condition is Reinke's edema, a disorder causing vocal cord swelling and hoarseness, which gives her a unique raspy voice but makes performing difficult, though she chooses not to have surgery to preserve her sound. She also has a history of ovarian cysts, which can cause pain, and experienced a severe kneecap infection requiring an ICU stay, linking it to past drug use. Additionally, she was born with supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), a fast heart rate condition.
All About EMDR, the Therapy Treatment That Miley Cyrus Says Saved Her Life. Anxiety can hinder so much of everyday life, but there are many helpful and safe ways to cope. For Miley Cyrus, she credits a specific type of therapy for helping her overcome stage fright—and also saving her life: EMDR.
Singer and actress Miley Cyrus expressed her support for the LGBTQ+ community back in 2019 via social media posts. She said: “You are born as you are… It has always been my priority to protect the LGBTQ community I am a part of.” The 'Flowers' hitmaker came out as gender fluid and pansexual back in 2015.