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Interpelled by the hoarse voice of Miley Cyrus, Internet users accuse the young singer of excessive smoking. His tone would in fact be linked to Reinke’s edema, an ENT pathology that affects the vocal cords. An expert explains it to us.
You sang all summer Flowers of Miley Cyrus? But have you ever heard of the singer? The 30-year-old artist is recognizable by his hoarse, rather serious voice, which regularly makes Internet users react. Thus, during a recent interview on the channel E ! Newssome people expressed their surprise:
“Looks like an 80-year-old grandma who smoked all her life”… “Looks like a man who smokes a lot?!”
Not very sympathetic remarks, as often on the web, but which raise the question: is it his natural voice?
The star underwent surgery for Reinke’s edema
In 2019, Miley Cyrus was diagnosed with Reinke’s edema, a gelatinous edema that develops under the lining of the upper surface of the vocal fold. A pathology explained to us by Dr. Cyril Fond, ENT:
“Reinke’s edema, or pseudomyxoma, is an inflammation located between the epithelium (ie the superficial part of the vocal cords) and the ligament, or Reinke’s space, a slightly more mobile area that allows the string, which allows it to vibrate. And there, sometimes a kind of gelatin is created which makes the vocal cords swell.
The doctor nevertheless agrees with Internet users by emphasizing that this edema is generally associated with active smoking. This edema would modify the singer’s voice: “The more vocal cord weight you have, the deeper your voice will sound.” he confirms.
Beyond a deep voice, Reinke’s edema can also be embarrassing, even dangerous, when it comes to impacting breathing. “It’s something that progresses slowly, so it’s still rare, but it’s possible.”
An operation that changes the voice of patients
To overcome the edema, an intervention may be necessary. “But treatment requires removing the risk factor in the first place.” underlines the ENT.
“Then, we operate on the vocal cords, under general anesthesia, with a laryngoscope in the upper airways, and we incise on the vocal cords to remove this kind of glue” he continues. An intervention which is never without risk, but which produces an almost immediate effect: the volume of the vocal cord becoming weaker, the vibration and the voice will be more acute. “So much so that sometimes those around you don’t recognize the person’s voice!” tells us the expert.
A change of voice, that could well tarnish the career of a singer, but which does not seem to disturb Miley Cyrus: Friday August 25, the American singer released a new single entitled Used to be young. A title already seen more than 10 million times on Youtube.