Most patients fall into two categories. Those who are short sighted (Myopic) and those who are long sighted (hyperopia).
A short sighted person will be able to see things clearly close to them, but things like TV and road signs will be blurred. Causes that can increase this problem are excessive use of computers, phones and tablets.
A long sighted person is unable to focus the light entering the eye onto the retina. This is because the focusing mechanism is too weak. Thus a magnifying lens may be required for television, driving or working on a computer depending on their prescription.
There are many types of lenses available, including contact lenses, to help with these conditions and help is available within the practices.