Miley Cyrus Reveals Her Medical Condition That Affected Her Singing and Makes Live Performances Challenging

The singer says her unique voice is due to Reinke’s edema and a vocal cord polyp, but the condition makes live performances extremely challenging.

May 26, 2025: Miley Cyrus has opened up about a medical condition that both defines her signature raspy voice and limits her ability to tour as extensively as she’d like. The 32-year-old “Flowers” singer shared on Apple Music’s “The Zane Lowe Show” that she has Reinke’s edema and a large vocal cord polyp, which, while contributing to her distinct vocal texture, also make performing live incredibly difficult.

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“It’s a part of my unique anatomy,” Cyrus said, explaining that the condition “has given me a lot of the tone and 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 candidly admitted that her late-night partying and lifestyle choices in her early 20s didn’t help her vocal issues, but they didn’t cause them either. “My voice always sounded like this,” she said, clarifying that even her mother remarks on how tired she can sound, describing it as “talking through a radio.”

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Despite the challenges, Cyrus said she has no plans to surgically remove the polyp out of fear of losing her signature sound. “I don’t want to risk not sounding like myself,” she explained.

Instead, the Grammy winner focuses on avoiding strain by limiting live shows and tours, which she describes as “taxing.” She emphasized that for any future global tour to be feasible, it would need to be done in a “sustainable” way because she doesn’t lip-sync during performances.

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In addition to her vocal issues, Cyrus also revealed she recently faced a “traumatic experience” when an ovarian cyst ruptured during a New Year’s Eve performance. She also shared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” that she was briefly in the ICU last Thanksgiving after injuring her leg while filming a music video.

While she continues to make music, Cyrus says she’s prioritizing her health and sustainability in the music industry. Her honesty about the personal struggles behind her famous voice has resonated with fans, who appreciate the vulnerability she brings to her career.

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Miley Cyrus, Reinke’s edema, vocal cord polyp, raspy voice, live performances, health challenges, music tours, pop culture